The purpose of this action research study was to observe the influence of teaching
mathematical problem solving strategies on students’ attitudes in middle school. The goal was to
teach five problem solving strategies: Drawing Pictures, Making a Chart or Table, Looking for a
Pattern, Working Backwards, and Guess and Check, and have students reflect upon the process. I
believed that my students would use these problem solving strategies as supportive tools for
solving mathematical word problems. A relationship from the Mathematics Attitudes survey
scores on students’ attitudes towards problem solving in mathematics was found. Students took
the Mathematics Attitudes survey before and after the study was conducted. In-class
observations of the students applying problem solving strategies and students’ response journals
were made. Students had small group interviews after the research study was conducted.
Therefore, I concluded that with the relationship between the Mathematics Attitudes survey
scores and journal responses that teaching the problem solving strategies to middle school
students was an influential tool for improving students’ mathematics attitude.