ERIC Number: EJ1143809
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2017
Pages: 5
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-2222-1735
EISSN: N/A
Problem Solving Strategies among Primary School Teachers
Yew, Wun Thiam; Lian, Lim Hooi; Meng, Chew Cheng
Journal of Education and Practice, v8 n15 p136-140 2017
The purpose of this article was to examine problem solving strategies among primary school teachers. The researchers employed survey research design to examine their problem solving strategies. The participants of this study consisted of 120 primary school teachers from a public university in Peninsula Malaysia who enrolled in a 4-year Graduating Teachers Program ("Program Pensiswazahan Guru") majored in mathematics. Purposive sampling technique was used to select these participants. This article presents the analysis of the responses of the participants related to a particular problem, namely fencing problem. Result of the study suggests that 79.2% of the participants have successfully solved the fencing problem. They employed various problem solving strategies: (i) trial-and-error (also known as guess-and-check), (ii) using algebra, (iii) making tables, charts or systematic list, (iv) drawing diagrams, (v) identifying pattern, and (vi) logical reasoning. Result of the study also suggests that 85% of the participants used same strategy to check their solutions for the fencing problem without being probed. The implications of the results were also discussed.
Descriptors: Problem Solving, Elementary School Teachers, Foreign Countries, Mathematics Teachers, Research Design, Teacher Education, Teacher Education Programs, Algebra, Mathematics Instruction, Elementary School Mathematics
IISTE. No 1 Central, Hong Kong Island, Hong Kong SAR. Tel: +852-39485948; e-mail: JEP@iiste.org; Web site: http://iiste.org/Journals/index.php/JEP
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Elementary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Malaysia
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A