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

2. 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.

3. 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

4. DFES Maths Assessment Objectives
Higher
40%
Found
50%

5. DFES Maths Assessment Objectives
Higher
30%
Found
25%

6. DFES Maths Assessment Objectives
Higher
30%
Found
25%

7. 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

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

9. DYNAMIC PROBLEM SOLVING

10. 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.

11. BOX CLEVER

12. MULTIPLICATION SQUARE
LINK - NRich - Primary and Secondary Maths Posters

13. Relevant topics

14. THANK YOU! COURSE MATERIALS http://www.yorkshireridingsmathshub.co.uk/
Materials, Hyperlinks and Power-point available via
THANK YOU!