Chinese Upper Elementary School Mathematics Teachers’ Attitudes towards the Place and Value of Problematic Word Problems in Mathematics Education

Abstract

Word problems play a crucial role in mathematics education. However, the authenticity of word problems is quite controversial. In terms of the necessity of realistic considerations to be taken into account in the solution process, word problems have been classified into two categories: standard word problems (S-items) and problematic word problems (P-items). S-items refer to those problems involving the straightforward application of one or more arithmetical operations with the given numbers, whereas P-items call for the use of real-world knowledge and real-life experience in the problem-solving process. This study aims to explore how Chinese upper elementary school mathematics teachers think of the place and value of P-items in the elementary mathematics curriculum.

Keywords

mathematics education / word problems / elementary school / teachers’ beliefs