PROBLEM SOLVING PROMTPS FOR THE INTERMEDIATE GRADES:
ASSESSING STUDENTS THROUGH COMMUNICATION IN PROBLEM SOLVING
By Melanie Close Liotta
Spring 2002
The objective of this project was to develop and evaluate a series of prompts that
would improve both student problem solving skills and attitude towards mathematics.
Each prompt consisted of a series of several problems, ranging from rudimentary to
challenging, and also included a writing component where students needed to
communicate their mathematical reasoning. A 4-point rubric was developed to
accompany each prompt to assess the students’ understanding. The first prompt, together
with the attitude survey, was administered at the beginning and end of the year for
comparison.
The study was conducted in a sixth grade classroom over the course of one
academic year. The students’ scores only showed improvement in prompts within the
same standard, and not overall. The pre- and post- of the first prompt showed significant
improvement, particularly in communication, with the number of students showing at
least substantial understanding doubling. The attitude survey also showed significant
improvement in the students’ attitude towards mathematics, with the number of students
showing a ‘good’ attitude tripling.
In conclusion, problem solving abilities may not be transferable across content
areas, or may take longer than one academic year to show significant improvement, but
rich problem solving experiences can improve attitude towards mathematics.