A Beginning Teacher's View of Problem Solving

Abstract

This study focused on a mathematics teacher and examined his beliefs about problem solving while he was finishing his preservice training and during his first 3 months of teaching. His beliefs were revealed through interviews in which he responded to various types of open-ended situations, through his reaction to a report written about his beliefs, and through observations of his teaching and subsequent interviews. Analyses revealed conflicts between his idealism and the reality of classroom practice, as his students were not always receptive to his problem-solving teaching strategy.