Exploring instructional strategies that enhance problem solving skills in mathematics : Grade 3

Abstract: The current transformation of the curriculum in Gauteng Province is based on a plan to improve languages and mathematics due to the poor performance of learners in general and most especially in the Annual National Assessments (ANA). Among the strategies put in place by the Department of Education to address the low performance and the poor results in mathematics and languages was the introduction of the Gauteng Primary Language and Mathematics Strategies (GPLMS). The aim of this study was to engage in a descriptive analysis of the performance of Grade 3 learners at a Primary school in Ekurhuleni North District as regards to problem solving and how teachers in Grade 3 engage with learners on problem solving tasks. One of the objectives of the GPLMS was enhancement of effective problem solving instructions in mathematics among teachers at primary schools. The findings of descriptive analyses show that on overall the teachers are still grappling with problem solving strategies and how to instruct in ways that enhance learners’ problem solving skills in mathematics. The learners are still rooted in procedural methods of solving problems and seem to lack the conceptual understanding that informs critical problem solving skills.M.Ed. (Mathematics Education