Mathematical problem solving : A study of different types of problems, strategies for solving and forms of cooperation when solving problems in Swedish elementary school grades 4-6.

Syftet med uppsatsen var att studera de olika problemtyper, lösningsstrategier och samarbetsformer som användes i grundskolans årskurs 4-6 vid arbete med problemlösning i matematik. För att genomföra studien observerades tre olika klasser; en årskurs 4, en årskurs 5 och en årskurs 6. Lärarna i respektive klass intervjuades för att undersöka tankarna bakom den undervisning de bedrev. De sorters problem eleverna arbetade med varierade och det gjorde även strategierna som de använde. De strategier som var mest frekvent förekommande var emellertid att rita bilder, gissa och pröva samt att välja en eller flera operationer att arbeta med. Eleverna arbetade både enskilt, i mindre grupper och i helklass när de arbetade med problemlösning. Helst skulle alla dessa tre delar tillgodoses, ansåg flera av de intervjuade lärarna.The purpose of this thesis was to study the different types or problems, strategies for solving and forms of cooperation used in Swedish elementary school grades 4-6 when working with problem solving in mathematics. Three different grades were studied in this thesis; one 4th grade, one 5th grade and one 6th grade. The teachers in each class were interviewed to study the ideas behind the teaching methods they were using. The types of problems students worked with varied and so did the strategies that they used. The most frequent strategies, however, was to draw pictures, guess and try and select one or several operations to work with. The students worked individually, in small groups and everyone in the class together, when they solved problems. Several of the interviewed teachers wanted all of these three forms of learning to be part of their teaching