You should be aware that, in the past few decades, there has been much talk about problem solving. While many new thrusts in mathematics last a few years, then disappear leaving some traces behind to enrich our curriculum, the problem-solving movement has endured for more than
a quarter of a century and shows no sign of abatement. If anything, it shows signs of growing stronger. The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM), in its Agenda for Action (1980), firmly stated that ‘‘problem solving must be the focus of the (mathematics) curriculum.’’ In their widely accepted Curriculum and Evaluation Standards for School Mathematics (1989), the NCTM offered a series of process Standards, in addition to the more traditional content Standards. Two of these four Standards (referred to as the ‘‘Process Standards’’), Problem Solving and Reasoning, were for students in all grades, K through 12. In their Principles and Standards for School Mathematics (2000), the NCTM continued this
emphasis on problem solving throughout the grades as a major thrust of mathematics teaching. All these documents have played a major role in generating the general acceptance of problem solving as a major curricular thrust. Everyone seems to agree that problem solving and reasoning are, and must be, an integral part of any good instructional program. In an effort to emphasize this study of problem solving and reasoning in mathematics curricula, most states are now including problem-solving skills on their statewide tests. Teachers sometimes ask, ‘‘If I spend time teaching problem solving, when will I find the time to teach the arithmetic skills the children need for the state test?’’ In fact, research has shown that students who are taught via a problem-solving mode of instruction usually do as well, or better, on state tests than many other students who have spent all their time learning only the skills. After all, when solving a problem, one must dip into his or her arsenal of arithmetic skills to find the correct answer to the problem. Then why has the acceptance of problem solving as an integral part of the mathematics curriculum not come to pass? In our view, the major impediment to a successful problem-solving component in our regular school curriculum is a weakness in the training teachers receive in problem solving, as well as the lack of attention paid to the ways in which these skills can be smoothly incorporated into their regular teaching program. Teachers ought not to be forced to rely solely on their own resourcefulness as they attempt to move ahead without special training. They need to focus their attention on what problem solving is, how they can use problem solving to teach the skills of mathematics, and how problem solving should be presented to their students. They must understand that problem solving can be thought of in three different ways: