Preservice mathematics teachers’ perceptions of mathematical problem solving and its teaching: A case from China

Frontiers in Psychology

article

Peijie Jiang¹  Yong Zhang²  Yanyun Jiang³  Bin Xiong⁴ 

[1] School of Mathematics and Statistics, Hunan Normal University;School of Mathematics, Yunnan Normal University;The High School Attached to Hunan Normal University;School of Mathematical Sciences, East China Normal University;Shanghai Key Laboratory of Pure Mathematics and Mathematical Practice

关键词: pre-service teacher;    perceptions;    Problem Solving;    Mathematics teaching;    in-service teacher;   

DOI  :  10.3389/fpsyg.2022.998586

学科分类：社会科学、人文和艺术（综合）

来源: Frontiers

【 摘 要 】

Preservice mathematics teachers’ accurate understanding of mathematical problem solving and its teaching is key to the performance of their professional quality. This study aims to investigate preservice mathematics teachers’ understanding of problem solving and its teaching based on the relevant perceptions of in-service teachers. After surveying 326 in-service mathematics teachers, this study constructs a reliable and valid tool for the cognition of mathematical problem solving and its teaching and conducts a questionnaire survey on 26 preservice mathematics teachers. Survey results reveal that preservice mathematics teachers have a good understanding of mathematical problem solving and its teaching and are more confident in the transfer value of problem solving ability. By contrast, in-service teachers are more optimistic that problem solving requires exploration, continuous thinking, and the participation of metacognition. This article concludes that preservice mathematics teachers should focus more on the initiative and creativity of students and put students at the center of education. In addition, teacher educators should provide more teaching practice opportunities for preservice teachers. The findings also show that in-service teachers’ understanding of problem solving and its teaching is inferior to that of preservice teachers on some indicators, implying the importance of post-service training for in-service teachers.

【 授权许可】

CC BY