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Problem-Solving Before Instruction PS-I: A Protocol for Assessment and Intervention in Students with Different Abilities
Published on: September 11, 2021
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Investigating problem-posing during math walks in informal learning spaces.
Min Wang1, Candace Walkington1
1Department of Teaching and Learning, Southern Methodist University, Dallas, TX, United States.
Frontiers in Psychology
|March 23, 2023
Summary
Informal mathematics learning through "math walks" enhances students' problem-posing skills. This approach helps connect school math to real-world scenarios, fostering deeper thinking and engagement with mathematics outside the classroom.
Area of Science:
- Mathematics Education
- Informal Learning Environments
- STEM Education Research
Background:
- Informal mathematics learning is understudied compared to informal science learning.
- Youth engage with mathematics in homes and communities.
- "Math walks" offer a unique approach to informal math learning by connecting concepts to the real world.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of problem-posing activities within a "math walks" program on high school students' mathematical outcomes.
- To analyze the complexity of self-generated mathematical problems.
- To assess changes in students' mathematical dispositions.
Main Methods:
- Explanatory sequential mixed-method research design.
- Analysis of students' problem-posing work.
- Pre- and post-program surveys on mathematical interest and self-generated problem complexity.
- Online program delivery during the pandemic.
Main Results:
- Students posed more complex problems in free-choice activities than in semi-structured ones.
- Problem complexity increased from pre- to post-surveys.
- Mathematical dispositions showed no significant change, but qualitative data indicated deeper thinking and real-world connections.
Conclusions:
- The "math walks" program effectively promotes informal mathematics learning.
- The program enhances students' problem-posing abilities.
- It successfully connects mathematical concepts to students' environments, fostering deeper engagement.
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