NATIONAL'INSTITUTE OF

Using the "How to Solve It " list developed by Polya as a vehicle of comparison, research findings and key concepts from the psychological study of problem solving are applied to mathematical problem solving. Hypotheses concerning the interpretation of psychological phenomena for mathematical problem situations are explored. Several areas of needed research with respect to the solution of-mathematical problems are discussed. Three elements of Polyals list are identified as having, primary importance in the soluticm process. It'is argued that psychological research does not support the usefulness of "devising a plan, " but rather implies that problem solution is facilitated by the restructuring of data. (Author) * Documents acquired by gtIc include many informal unpublished * materials not available from other sources.,ERIC makes every effort * * to obtain the best copy available. Nevertheless, items of marginal 4 reproducibility are often encountered and this affects the quality. * of the microfiche and hardcopy reproductions ERIC makes available * via the ERIC Document Reproduction Service (EDRS). EDRS is not * responsible for the quality of the original document. Reproductions * * supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original.