The idea of using open-ended problems to improve mathematics
teaching to develop and foster methods for teaching problem solving
and thinking skills has appeared in the curriculum of many countries,
in the form that there is specific curriculum time left for teachers'
freedom to adopt an 'open approach'. Very recently in Japan (Landers
1998), the Ministry of Education has approved a new national policy
to take effect in 2002 that will cut the prescribed curriculum by 30%.
Their aim is to trim the time devoted to traditional subjects and use it
for open-ended problems, out-of-school activities and integrated
projects that cut across disciplines. In Germany about one-fifth of the
teaching time is left content-free, in order to encourage teachers to use
mathematical activities (Pehkonen 1995). In Sweden (Prim-gruppen
1995), open-ended problems have been used in the final assessment of
students.