Teachers’ Attitudes Towards Mathematics Problem-Solving

Abstract

Despite the importance of teaching students how to solve math problems and how to transfer problem-solving skills to solve problems in new and unknown situations, research on teachers’ attitudes towards solving math problems is still scarce. The aim of the present research was to investigate teachers’ attitudes towards solving math problems in a convenience sample of 312 Slovenian primary school teachers. Participants solved a written questionnaire with 17 questions, which aimed to measure their attitude towards different aspects related to problem-solving, such as (1) the feasibility of the objectives related to problem-solving in the Slovenian mathematics program, (2) the use of mathematical problems in different phases of the lessons, (3) the effects of the use of problem-solving on students, and (4) the conditions necessary for solving problems in mathematics. Through the Principal Component Analysis, we validated the questionnaire and the reliability of the instrument was very good. The results show that teachers have a positive attitude towards solving math problems. In particular, teachers recognize the importance of including problem-solving in their regular math lessons. Teachers believe that problem-solving is important for improving students’ mathematical knowledge and allows the transfer of knowledge to solve new and unfamiliar problems. Furthermore, the participants believe that the objectives related to problem-solving in Slovenian national curricula are important and should be considered in normal mathematics lessons. Hence, having a more positive attitude towards mathematics problem-solving might encourage teachers to use problem-solving in their regular classes.