Embedding it into the Curriculum PROBLEM SOLVING Embedding it into the Curriculum STARTER ACTIVITY Gareth EDWARDS (Malton School) Gareth SILLIFANT (Harrogate Grammar School)

Current Problem Solving Tasks To expose every student to problem solving activities in maths To focus on the explanation of the mathematical process, not the final answer Some important principles: An element of choice for the students Review time Peer and self-assessment No grading Issues: Can feel like a bolt-on activity We hadn’t really embedded problem solving into our everyday practice Then, along came the chance to be involved, as an ambassador, in a problem-solving project.

Help pupils demonstrate increased RESILIENCE PROBLEM SOLVING – what is needed … Help pupils demonstrate increased RESILIENCE when working with unfamiliar problems Help pupils develop strategies for planning an approach to UNSTRUCTURED multi-stage problems Embed problem solving more comprehensively into schemes of learning

DFES Maths Assessment Objectives Higher 40% Found 50%

DFES Maths Assessment Objectives Higher 30% Found 25%

DFES Maths Assessment Objectives Higher 30% Found 25%

Phases of problem solving G POLYA, How to solve it Understand the problem Devise a plan Carry out the plan Review May recognise similarities with Process Skills cycle, and also the Data Handling cycle. George Pólya (1887 –1985) was a Hungarian mathematician. He was a professor of mathematics from 1914 to 1940 at ETH Zürich and from 1940 to 1953 at Stanford University. He made fundamental contributions to combinatorics, number theory, numerical analysis and probability theory. He is also noted for his work in heuristics and mathematics education. ‘How to solve it’ originally published 1945 provides framework of problem solving techniques

Producing Effective Resources “Getting into it” Scaffolding - Access for ability levels Relevant Questioning / Planning Resilience – dynamic - different types of approach Follow up – apply / extend

DYNAMIC PROBLEM SOLVING

Helps build resilience, independence and tenacity ... As a bookmark Strategies for problem solving   Look for a pattern Simplify the problem Make a table Draw a diagram List all the possibilities Write an equation Work backwards Trial & improvement Work systematically Consider similar problems – what worked for them? Helps build resilience, independence and tenacity ... ... but only if there is a coherent, planned, progressive introduction of strategies through examples and discussion Show this bookmark – it’s in their resource pack.

BOX CLEVER

MULTIPLICATION SQUARE LINK - NRich - Primary and Secondary Maths Posters

Relevant topics

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