The aim of this study was to investigate how two different problem solving instructions affect the views of pre-service elementary mathematics teachers on problem solving process. With this aim, one group of pre-service teachers received strategy-based problem solving instruction and other group received problem solving instruction which is not strategy-based. 51 pre-service elementary mathematics teachers participated, of which 30 were in the first group and 21 in the other group. Interviews were done both before and after the instructions with structured interview protocol. The data were analyzed through descriptive analyses within qualitative research design. The findings of the study were presented under four themes which were what the important thing is during problem solving process, the first ideas of pre-service teachers after reading the problem, definition of problem and definition of problem solving strategy. It is seen that, because of the instruction type the views about the first two themes were different but the others were similar.
Key words: problem solving instruction, problem solving strategies, pre-service elementary mathematics teachers views
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