Student teachers’ conceptualizations of mathematical problem solving and the nature of their warrants

Absence of inquiry about meaning of mathematical objects learners deal with has permeated the school mathematics curriculum. Deep learning through questioning situations can be achieved if learners are helped to embrace the argumentation discourse in their problem solving efforts. This paper reports...

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Main Authors: Zakaria Ndemo, David K. J. Mtetwa
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Muhammadiyah University Press 2022-10-01
Series:Journal of Research and Advances in Mathematics Education
Subjects:
Online Access:https://journals2.ums.ac.id/index.php/jramathedu/article/view/9582
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author Zakaria Ndemo
David K. J. Mtetwa
author_facet Zakaria Ndemo
David K. J. Mtetwa
author_sort Zakaria Ndemo
collection DOAJ
description Absence of inquiry about meaning of mathematical objects learners deal with has permeated the school mathematics curriculum. Deep learning through questioning situations can be achieved if learners are helped to embrace the argumentation discourse in their problem solving efforts. This paper reports on a study that investigated linkages between the kinds of mathematical arguments constructed by students and the students’ grasp of the concept of problem solving. With the overall goal of teasing out such linkages a questionnaire that elicited likert-style and textual data was administered to 30 undergraduate and 5 postgraduate mathematics education students. The two data sources were triangulated with reflective interviews guided by students’ written responses and their validations on likert items. Descriptive statistics were applied to likert data and directed content analysis was used to analyze and interpret the qualitative data. The study concluded that students lacked appropriate conceptions of the notion of problem solving and in particular their thinking as reflected in their arguments that contradicted current understandings on the construct. The fragile grasp of the idea of mathematical problem solving uncovered by this study has the potential to inform mathematics instruction.
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spelling doaj-art-d874af8cab4c4aa4ae169ad5dafa21732025-08-20T03:33:35ZengMuhammadiyah University PressJournal of Research and Advances in Mathematics Education2503-36972022-10-0125327210.23917/jramathedu.v7i4.153039645Student teachers’ conceptualizations of mathematical problem solving and the nature of their warrantsZakaria Ndemo0David K. J. Mtetwa1Bindura University of Science EducationUniversity of ZimbabweAbsence of inquiry about meaning of mathematical objects learners deal with has permeated the school mathematics curriculum. Deep learning through questioning situations can be achieved if learners are helped to embrace the argumentation discourse in their problem solving efforts. This paper reports on a study that investigated linkages between the kinds of mathematical arguments constructed by students and the students’ grasp of the concept of problem solving. With the overall goal of teasing out such linkages a questionnaire that elicited likert-style and textual data was administered to 30 undergraduate and 5 postgraduate mathematics education students. The two data sources were triangulated with reflective interviews guided by students’ written responses and their validations on likert items. Descriptive statistics were applied to likert data and directed content analysis was used to analyze and interpret the qualitative data. The study concluded that students lacked appropriate conceptions of the notion of problem solving and in particular their thinking as reflected in their arguments that contradicted current understandings on the construct. The fragile grasp of the idea of mathematical problem solving uncovered by this study has the potential to inform mathematics instruction.https://journals2.ums.ac.id/index.php/jramathedu/article/view/9582mathematical problem solvingmathematical argumentationstudent conceptualizationsmathematical warrants
spellingShingle Zakaria Ndemo
David K. J. Mtetwa
Student teachers’ conceptualizations of mathematical problem solving and the nature of their warrants
Journal of Research and Advances in Mathematics Education
mathematical problem solving
mathematical argumentation
student conceptualizations
mathematical warrants
title Student teachers’ conceptualizations of mathematical problem solving and the nature of their warrants
title_full Student teachers’ conceptualizations of mathematical problem solving and the nature of their warrants
title_fullStr Student teachers’ conceptualizations of mathematical problem solving and the nature of their warrants
title_full_unstemmed Student teachers’ conceptualizations of mathematical problem solving and the nature of their warrants
title_short Student teachers’ conceptualizations of mathematical problem solving and the nature of their warrants
title_sort student teachers conceptualizations of mathematical problem solving and the nature of their warrants
topic mathematical problem solving
mathematical argumentation
student conceptualizations
mathematical warrants
url https://journals2.ums.ac.id/index.php/jramathedu/article/view/9582
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