Implementation of Problem Solving in School: From Intended to Experienced

Abstract

Abstract The importance of mathematical problem solving has long been recognized, yet its implementation in classrooms remains a challenge. In this paper we put forth the notion of problem-solving implementation chain as a dynamic sequence of intended, planned, enacted and experienced activity, shaped by researchers, teachers and students, where the nature of the activity and its aims may change at the links of the chain. We propose this notion as an analytical framework for investigating implementation of problem-solving resources. We then illustrate this framework by a series of narratives from a project, in which the team of task-designers develops problem-solving resources aimed at reaching middle-school students via their teachers, who encounter these resources in professional development communities. We show how the problem-solving activity evolves along the implementation chain and then identify opportunities for mutual learning that emerge from tensions in perspectives on PS held by the different parties involved. The impact sheet to this article can be accessed at 10.6084/m9.figshare.19493903.