Problem Posing in a Fourth Grade Classroom: Analyzing the Impact of Weekly Practice

As mathematics education moves away from rote memorization and procedural methods, conceptual approaches such as problem posing are gaining support. Problem posing refers to the generation of new mathematical problems and the reformulation of given ones (Chapman, 2012). It requires higher order thinking skills and has become a recognized means of developing mathematical thinking and creativity in students of all ages (Koichu & Kontorovich, 2013). This mixed methods, action research study explores the impact of a weekly problem-posing instructional intervention on the mathematical problem posing and problem solving abilities of fourth grade students. The problems students posed in response to artifact prompts (restaurant menus, grocery circulars etc.) are evaluated both quantitatively and qualitatively. Analysis focuses on how students\u27 problem-posing performance developed over the course of the study, and on the potential connections between problem posing and other achievement variables