Variables in planning and carrying out a problem-posing task in early childhood education

Abstract

This research focused on understanding the variables inherent in the design and implementation of a mathematical problem-posing task. We developed a single case study of a problem-posing lesson by an Early Childhood Education teacher in a classroom with 4- to 5-year-old children who were unfamiliar with such activities. The results of this study show the potential of considering five variables serving as critical points that pose dilemmas linked to the design and implementation of problem-posing tasks. We found that the task changed from its original design during implementation, implying that the choices the teacher made about the variables were not static and were strongly linked to the purpose of the problem-posing task as well as to the contextual characteristics of the early childhood classroom. This study provides a potentially useful framework for analyzing the design and implementation of problem-posing tasks as a dynamic process.