Keywords

Mathematics, problem solving, strategies, student attitude, middle school

Abstract

The purpose of this action research study was to observe the influence of teaching mathematical problem solving strategies on students’ attitudes in middle school. The goal was to teach five problem solving strategies: Drawing Pictures, Making a Chart or Table, Looking for a Pattern, Working Backwards, and Guess and Check, and have students reflect upon the process. I believed that my students would use these problem solving strategies as supportive tools for solving mathematical word problems. A relationship from the Mathematics Attitudes survey scores on students’ attitudes towards problem solving in mathematics was found. Students took the Mathematics Attitudes survey before and after the study was conducted. In-class observations of the students applying problem solving strategies and students’ response journals were made. Students had small group interviews after the research study was conducted. Therefore, I concluded that with the relationship between the Mathematics Attitudes survey scores and journal responses that teaching the problem solving strategies to middle school students was an influential tool for improving students’ mathematics attitude.

Notes

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Graduation Date

2012

Semester

Spring

Advisor

Ortiz, Enrique

Degree

Master of Education (M.Ed.)

College

College of Education and Human Performance

Department

Teaching, Learning, and Leadership

Degree Program

K-8 Mathematics and Science Education

Format

application/pdf

Identifier

CFE0004309

URL

http://purl.fcla.edu/fcla/etd/CFE0004309

Language

English

Release Date

May 2015

Length of Campus-only Access

3 years

Access Status

Masters Thesis (Open Access)

Subjects

Dissertations, Academic -- Education, Education -- Dissertations, Academic

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