Crossing borders to study problem solving! : A qualitative comparative study on mathematical problem solving between Sweden and Malta in primary school

This paper is about problem solving. One common result of previous research is that pupils’ learning is greater in classrooms where they are engaged in problem solving tasks that are cognitively demanding. Therefore the purpose of this study is to analyse the didactic choices two teachers make when they are using mathematical problem solving in their classrooms. One teacher in Sweden who teaches pupils’ mathematics in grade 4 and one teacher in Malta that teaches mathematics in Year 6 takes part in the study. The pupils in both Sweden and in Malta are 10 years of age. Three questions directed this study: How cognitively challenging are problem solving tasks in the Swedish and Maltese mathematics classroom? How does a teacher in Sweden and a teacher in Malta define and exemplify the concept of problem solving? What similarities and differences are there between the Swedish and Maltese mathematical classrooms regarding two teachers’ didactic choice of mathematical problem solving, and the teachers working methods around these tasks? The study was based on observations and interviews. The purpose of the interviews was to get answers to how the teachers interpret the concept of problem solving and how they relate to it. The aim of the observations was to see how the teachers involved incorporate problem solving during the maths lessons and how the tasks carried out are cognitive. The results show that in the Swedish and the Maltese mathematical classroom, the teachers give reference to and work with cognitive demanding tasks that require a connection to conceptual and procedural knowledge. The differences between the two observed classrooms are significant. The teacher in Sweden provides space for discussion and creative reasoning and pupils often solve mathematical problems individually. The teacher in Malta provides students with mathematical skills of how pupils can solve mathematical problems using different models. The pupils in Malta are often working on problems together, with the teacher in a dialog.