Problem Solving in Mathematics Education ― New Advances and Perspectives

This book collects recent research on posing and solving mathematical problems. Rather than treating these two crucial aspects of school mathematics as separate areas of study, the authors approach them as a unit where both areas are measured on equal grounds in relation to each other. The contributors are from a vast variety of countries and with a wide range of experience; it includes the work from many of the leading researchers in the area and an important number of young researchers.

The book is divided in three parts, one directed to new research perspectives and the other two directed to teachers and students, respectively.

Patricio Felmer is a mathematician working at the University of Chile, specialized in the area of Partial Differential Equations. During the last years he has contributed to Mathematics Education, working in projects for the Chilean government on the definition of Standards for the Formation of Mathematics Teachers and on the development of material for them. Lately he has been working in R&D projects aiming to implement professional development strategies based on problem solving for in-service teachers.

Dr. Erkki Pehkonen is a full professor (emer.) in the field of mathematics and informatics education in the Department of Teacher Education at the University of Helsinki in Finland. He is interested in problem solving with a focus on motivating middle grade pupils, as well as in understanding pupils’ and teachers’ beliefs and conceptions about mathematics teaching.

Jeremy Kilpatrick is Regents Professor of Mathematics Education at the University of Georgia. He has taught at European and Latin American universities, receiving four Fulbright awards. He holds an honorary doctorate from the University of Gothenburg and is a Fellow of the American Educational Research Association, a National Associate of the National Academy of Sciences, and a member of the National Academy of Education. He received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics and the 2007 Felix Klein Medal from the International Commission on Mathematical Instruction. His research interests include proficiency in mathematics teaching, curriculum change and its history, assessment, and the history of research in mathematics education.