Implementing problem solving in mathematics classrooms: What support do teachers want

Providing teachers with support for the implementation of problem-solving approaches in classrooms is critical if classroom practices are to change. Finding the most appropriate professional development program can be challenging given the constraints of time, cost and personnel. Involving teachers in decisions about their professional learning needs is crucial if they are to embrace such approaches. In this paper, primary and secondary school teachers ’ responses to surveys about the problem-solving professional development needs of their colleagues, are presented. In general, teachers agreed that considerable support was necessary, particularly in the form of time and resources so that teachers can share teaching ideas, reflect on practice, and develop new understandings about these approaches. Teachers have been required to implement problem solving into the teaching and learning of mathematics for some time. Stacey and Groves (1989) noted that every Australian state and territory included problem solving as part of their curriculum aims by 1988. To support problem-solving approaches in classrooms, resource materials and professional development opportunities have been available for teachers. One notable example was the Mathematics Curriculum and Teaching Program Professiona