Non Routine Mathematical Problem Solving with Lower Achieving Children
Keywords:
Mathematics, Problem Solving, Lower-Achieving, Non-Routine ProblemsAbstract
This article discusses aspects of a research study which was carried out with twenty-four fourth class pupils in a school designated as disadvantaged in Dublin. The study focused on the strategies children used to solve non-routine mathematical problems, without having prior formal instruction on problemsolving strategies. Within the class were a high number of children performing below the twentieth percentile in mathematics. However, the study found that these lower-achieving children performed beyond expectations on non-routine problems and at times even outperformed their higher-achieving peers.
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