The place of problems in problem based learning: A case of mathematics and teacher education

Abstract

In this chapter, Professor Cynthia Nicol, a specialist in teaching elementary and middle school mathematics, and Fil Krykorka, a beginning teacher and graduate of the PBL cohort at UBC, consider Fil’s first month of teaching as the context for the issues, questions, and challenges of what tasks count as worthwhile for learning to teach and for teaching/learning in school math and science classrooms. They focus on the importance and challenge of designing good PBL problems for their students and for preservice teachers. They examine the literature on place-conscious pedagogies and provide examples of case problems from their practices of teaching and learning through PBL. Finally, they conclude with ideas, thoughts, and challenges for designing problems for PBL that have the potential to engage students, teachers, preservice teachers, and teacher educators in pedagogical and mathematical inquiry.