SSE Staff Review : Current Practice in Problem-Solving
Working
Well
Needs
Attention
Pupils at all class levels enjoy problem-solving
20% (1/5)
80% (4/5)
Staff are aware of pupils’ problem-solving ability in the school/class/of individuals (e.g. whole school
analysis of data from standardised tests regarding problem-solving ability)
20% (1)
80% (4)
Children are involved in weekly problem-solving activities during Mathematics lessons
60% (3)
40% (2)
The school is providing opportunities for all children, Infants to Sixth class and including those with
special needs, to have the opportunity to experience problem-solving activities, for example, by
giving oral problems; by having them use objects to solve the problem; by using smaller numbers?
A variety of different resources are used to source problems, there is not an over-reliance on the
pupils’ textbooks
Pupils solve problems that apply to real life contexts
Problem-solving lessons are varied and regularly include:
● Word problems
● Open-ended tasks
● Practical investigations
● Puzzles
● Games
● Projects
● Mathematical trails
● Missing/surplus/contradictory data
Children are encouraged to find multiple approaches to solving one problem
40% (2)
60% (3)
20% (1)
80% (4)
40% (2)
100% (5)
60% (3)
20% (1)
80% (4)
100% (5)
100% (5)
80%(4)
20% (1)
100% (5)
80% (4)
20% (1)
20% (1)
80% (4)
20% (1)
80% (4)
Equal emphasis is placed on the process of problem-solving as well as finding the answer
20% (1)
80% (4)
The teacher actively models the language to be used
20% (1)
80% (4)
The teacher supports children in communicating/sharing their problem-solving
strategies/approaches
20% (1)
80% (4)
Opportunities are provided for pupils to explain how they got the answer to a problem and discuss
alternative ways of approaching a problem thus giving them opportunities to practice thinking about
mathematical ideas
100%
Children are encouraged to listen to the views of others when solving problems and to accept the
reasoning of others in order to solve problems co-operatively (constructivist approach)
Opportunities to develop problem-solving in a cross curricular way are explored
100%
40% (2)
60% (3)
ICT’s opportunities are used / explored as an integral part of problem-solving activities
20% (1)
80% (4)
In terms of learning problem solving, do you teach problem solving strategies by moving from
concrete work, to pictorial work to abstract work?
20% (1)
80% (4)
*For training purposes only*