Teaching

Mathematics through
Problem Solving
Reporter:
A-jay Caryl Alizar
TEACHING MATHEMATICS THROUGH PROBLEM SOLVING

What is Problem
Solving?
 TEACHING MATHEMATICS THROUGH PROBLEM SOLVING

Problem- Solving is the

process of identifying a
problem, prioritizing,
selecting alternatives for a
solution and evaluating
outcomes.
TEACHING MATHEMATICS THROUGH PROBLEM SOLVING

In his book “How to Solve It,” George Pólya

(1945) said, “One of the most important tasks of
the teacher is to help his students. This task is
not quite easy; it demands time, practice,
devotion, and sound principles. The student
should acquire as much experience of
independent work as possible. But if he is left
alone with his problem without any help, he
may make no progress at all. If the teacher
helps too much, nothing is left to the student.
The teacher should help, but not too much and
not too little, so that the student shall have a
reasonable share of the work.”
Here are the shortcomings of a
teach-by-telling approarch:
•It communicates that there is only one way to solve the problem,
misinterpresenting the field of mathematics and disempowering
students who naturally may want to try to do it their own way
• It positions the student as a passive learner, dependent on the
teacher to present ideas, rather than as an independent thinker
with the capability and responsibility for solving the problem. •It

assumes that all the students have a necessary prior

knowledge to understand the teacher's explanations-which is
rarely, if ever, the case.
The Three Approaches to Problem Solving

1. Teaching for Problem solving

2. Teaching about Problem solving
3. Teaching through Problem solving
 TEACHING MATHEMATICS THROUGH PROBLEM SOLVING

Teaching for Problem Solving

Teaching for problem solving starts
with learning the abstract concept
and then moving to solving
problems as a way to apply the
learned skill (explain-practice-
apply).
 TEACHING MATHEMATICS THROUGH PROBLEM SOLVING

Teaching about Problem Solving

Students need guidance on how
to problem solve. This includes
the process and learning
strategies that can help in
solving problems for example,
"draw a picture"
TEACHING ABOUT PROBLEM SOLVING

Four-Step Problem Solving

Process
(George Polya)
1. Understand the problem
2. Devise a plan
3. Carry out the plan
4. Look back
 TEACHING ABOUT PROBLEM SOLVING Visualize. Seing is not only believing- it is also means for
understanding.
Look for patterns. Searching for patterns, including
regularity and repetition in everyday, spatial, symbolic or
imaginary contexts is an important entry entry point into
thinking mathemayically.
Predict and check for reasonableness. This sometimes
called "gues and check" but students are predicting more
than they are guessing.
Formulate conjectures amd justify claims. As students
Problem- interpret a problem, making conjectures and testing them
can help students solve the problem and deepen their
Solving understanding of the mathematical relationships.
Create a list, table, or chart. Systematically accounting
Strategies for possible outcomes in in a situation can provide insights
that can be applied to the original, more complex
quantities in a problem.
Simplify or change the problem. Simplify the equations in
a problem can make a situation easier to understand and
analyze.
Write an equation. Using or inventing symbols, numbers
notations, and equations are compact ways of modeling a
situation.
 TEACHING MATHEMATICS THROUGH PROBLEM SOLVING

Teaching through Problem Solving

This approach means that students
learn mathematics through
inquiry. They explore real contexts,
problems, situations, and models,
and from those explorations they
learn mathematics.
TEACHING THROUGH PROBLEM SOLVING

Teaching through problem solving:

Focuses students's attention on ideas and sense making. When solving problem,
students are necessarily reflecting on the concepts inherent in the problems.
Develops mathematical practices and processes. by definition, teaching through
problem solving positions students to be the "doers" and as they are doing the
mathematics. Develops student confidence and identities. As students engage in
learning through problem solving, they begin to identify themselves as the doers of
mathematics.
Builds on students' strength. Because good problems have multiple paths to the
solution, students can apply strategies that they understand and that learn to their
learning preferences.
Allow for extentions and ellaborations. Extensions and "what if" questions can
motivate and challenge all students, as well as provide enrichment for advanced
learners or quick finishers.
TEACHING THROUGH PROBLEM SOLVING

Teaching through problem solving:

Engages students so that there are fewer discipline problems. Many disciplines
issues in a classroom are the result of boredom, not understanding directions or an
algorithm, or simply finding little relevance in the task.
Provides formative assessment data. As students discuss ideas. draw pictures or use
manipulatives, defend their solutions and evaluate those of others, and write reports or
explanations, they provide the teacher with a steady stream of valuable information.
Invites creativity. Students enjoy the creative process of problem solving, searching for
patterns, and showing how they figured something out.
 How you will be able to teach all the operations
by teaching through problem solving:

1. Allow multiple ways:Explicity ask students to use multiple methods, strategies, and
representations to solve.
2. Make it an explorations: Change the task so there is more to it than a single
Computation.
3.Post one teaching a standard method: Begin with students' intuition about how to
solve a problem type before learning about conventional methods.
4. Add visual requirement: Visualization enhances understanding.
5.Increase the number of entry points: You can increase the entry points by asking
students to write down everything they know about the problem, or listing possible ideas
for how they might solve the problem.
6. Reason and continue: Require students to create conveying mathematical arguments
and to expect the same from their peers.
 Teaching math in the primary
grades

sample lesson
exemplar
prepared by: A-jay alizar
 LESSON EXEMPLAR: TEACHING MATH THROUGH PROBLEM SOLVING (K-PRIMARY)

School Pastrana Central Level K - Primary 1

School

Teacher Mrs. Veronica Pasagui Subject Mathematics

LESSON EXEMPLAR Date October 22 ,2024 Quarter 4

Teaching time 8 am to 10 am No. of Days 1

 By the end of the lesson, students will be able to:
A. Solve simple addition and subtraction word problems upto 10.
I. Objectives B. Use concrete objects, drawings, and number sentences to solve word problems.
C. Explain their problem-solving process orally or in written form.

A. Topic: Basic Addition and Subtraction Word Problems.

II. Subject Matter B. Materials: Counters (e.g., bottle caps, pebbles), chart paper, markers, flashcards,
worksheets.
C. Reference: K to 12 Mathematics CurriculumGuide, DepEd, 2016.

D. MELCCode:M1NS-Ia-1(PrimaryLevel)

III. Procedure This section follows the 4 A's Model (Activity, Analysis, Abstraction, Application) often used
in DepEd lesson planning.
A. Activity (Introduction) Time: 5 minutes The teacher introduces the lesson through a short,
engaging story or scenario that is relatable to the students. This captures their interest and
sets the context for the problem-solving activity.
Example: Teacher says: “Class, today, we’re going on a picnic! Imagine you brought 5 sandwiches
with you, and your friend gave you 3 more sandwiches. How many sandwiches do you have now?
Let’s solve this together!” The teacher uses this simple scenario to introduce addition and
subtraction. The students are encouraged to think about how they would solve the problem using
concrete objects.
B. Analysis (Development of the Lesson) Time: 15 minutes In this section, students engage in a
hands-on, step-by-step process of solving the problem. This includes the Concrete-Pictorial-
Abstract (CPA) approach, which is highly encouraged in DepEd’s problem-solving lessons.

1. Concrete Phase
The teacher gives the students counters (bottle caps or pebbles)to represent the sandwiches.
Teacher asks: “Let’s use these counters to represent the sandwiches. Count 5 counters first,
and then add 3 more counters. How many do we have in total?”
Expected Student Response: The students physically count the counters and discover that
they now have 8 sandwiches. This represents the ‘concrete’ understanding of the problem.

2. Pictorial Phase
The teacher instructs the students to draw pictures representing the problem on chart paper.
Teacher says: “Now, let’s draw 5 sandwiches, and then draw 3 more. How many sandwiches do you
have in your drawing?”

Expected Student Response: Students draw and visually count their sandwiches, reinforcing their
understanding through pictures.

3. Abstract Phase
The teacher guides the students in writing the number sentence that corresponds to the problem.
Teacher writes on the board: “We can write this problem as a number sentence: 5 + 3 = 8.”
Expected Student Response: Students write the number sentence in their notebooks.
C. Abstraction (Time: 5 minutes)
This part of the lesson encourages students to understand the concept of addition and subtraction
more generally. The teacher explains: “So, whenever we add two groups of objects together, we are
finding out how many we have in all. We can use counters, drawings, or just numbers to solve
problems like this!”

Engagement Example: The teacher can ask: “If I gave you 4 candies, and your friend gave you 2 more,
how many would you have? Let’s think about it together!” The teacher ensures that students are
generalizing the concept to new problems.

D. Application Time: 10 minutes

 Example Problem:

“You have 5 toy cars. Your friend gives you 3 more toy cars. How many toy cars do you have now?”

Students are expected to show their work with a drawing and a number sentence.

At the end of the lesson, the teacher asks students to reflect on the strategies they used to
solve the problems. Reflection Questions:
VI. Reflection 1. “What helped you the most in solving the problem – using counters, drawing, or writing the
number sentence?”
(Closure 5 minutes)
2. “Did you find it easier to draw the problem or write the number sentence?”
This reflection activity helps students become aware of their own learning process and the
strategies that work best for them.
References: - Department of Education (DepEd). (2016). K to 12 Mathematics
Curriculum Guide. Retrieved from: [https://www.deped.gov.ph/k-to-12-
curriculum-guides/](https://www.deped.gov.ph/k-to-12-c urriculum-guides/) -
Department of Education (DepEd). (2020). Most Essential Learning
Competencies (MELCs). Retrieved from:
[https://commons.deped.gov.ph/MELCs]
(https://commons.deped.gov.ph/MELCs) - National Council of Teachers of
Mathematics (NCTM). (2000). Principles and Standards for School
Mathematics. Reston, VA: NCTM.