IN-PERSON Prague Research & Teaching Conference

Abstract

The success of elementary school students in mathematics is defined in the Quebec Education Program by the development of three competencies, including the ability “to solve a situational problem” (Ministry of Education, Leisure and Sport, 2006). For many elementary school teachers, a situational problem is a complex task involving various constraints, several steps, and the mobilization of numerous previously learned concepts (Lessard et al., 2020). The teachers’ conception of what a situational problem is appears to be closely linked to the mandatory ministerial test carried out by all students at the end of elementary school (11-12 years old). However, from a research perspective, a situational problem takes on a completely different meaning: it is a situation including an obstacle that allows the student to feel the limit or the ineffectiveness of his knowledge, leading them to feel the need of learning something new (Pallascio, 2005; Theis et al., 2012). Considering that current teaching practices can be guided by evaluative constraints associated with the success of the ministerial test (Deblois et al., 2016; Lessard et al., 2020), the question of student’s learning arises. What types of solvers are they being trained to become? This mixed study aims to compare two problem-solving teaching practices to evaluate their effects on the performance of Quebec sixth graders based on different types of tasks. This research highlights how teachers ‘conception of situation problems affect their teaching method and how these methods affect students’ conception of problem solving. Additionally, it questions if current practices adequately prepare students for challenges beyond standardized tests.