Characterisers of Teaching in a Mathematics Problem Posing Lesson in Preschool Education

Abstract

Problem posing is rarely seen in Spanish classrooms, least of all in preschool education. The lack of research, coupled with a lack of guidance, has resulted in teachers simply not considering the approach as something that could enrich their work. This study examines a problem-posing lesson given by a preschool teacher to a class of four-year-olds. It focuses in particular on the organisational principles and the factors to be taken into consideration in applying the strategy. Through the application of a bottom-up analysis, seven characterisers are identified, four associated with task design and planning: Characteristics of the resources, type of problem, expression of problem formulation, and type of problem formulation; and three associated with lesson management: Stages in task execution, degree of liberty, and role of the pupils’ drawings of the problem.