A comparison of the problem solving and procedural skills of those in adult mathematics education in Ireland

International audienceA desire to have students and citizens who are numerate and effective problem solvers is a common goal internationally (Gal & UNESCO, 2020). This desire is no different in an Irish context across all areas of education including adult mathematics education (SOLAS, 2020). This research used diagnostic testing to determine and compare the mathematical problem solving and procedural skills of a cohort of adult students in an Irish University. The diagnostic test, which was developed by the authors using the second level mathematics curriculum in Ireland as a guide, revealed that all adult students had statistically significantly lower mathematical problem solving skills when compared to procedural skills. These findings raise concern about the problem solving skills of adult learners. Discussion around the implications of such findings for best practice in adult mathematics education are outlined