Guidelines for Creating Lessons with TTP

Use this text as a guide when creating your TTP curriculum.

Key Points for Teaching Mathematics through Problem Solving

1. Developing Student Perseverance

It is important to ensure that students do not give up quickly when faced with an unfamiliar problem.

To develop perseverance, students need to gain experience in finding solutions on their own.

2. Definition of Problem Solving

“Problem solving” means engaging in a task for which the solution is not known in advance.

The task does not have to be a word problem; it can be an equation or calculation that students have not previously learned to solve.

3. Centering Education Around Problem Solving

Distinguish between “teaching problem solving” and “teaching through problem solving.”

The latter uses problem solving as a means to learn specific mathematical concepts outlined in the curriculum.

4. Structure of Lessons

Lessons that teach through problem solving begin with the teacher setting up the context and introducing the problem.

Students work on the problem individually, followed by a whole-class discussion where different solutions are compared to learn new mathematical ideas.

5. Using Concrete Examples

For example, comparing the crowdedness of rabbit cages helps students learn to calculate the number of rabbits per unit area.

Such concrete examples deepen students’ understanding of mathematical concepts.

6. Role of the Teacher

The teacher's role is like that of a film director, planning the lesson, drawing out student ideas, and organizing them.

Highlighting incorrect or partially correct ideas encourages students to try and contribute, even if they can't solve the whole problem.

7. Introduction to Lesson Study in Japan

In Japan, lesson study is used to practice and refine teaching through problem solving.

Teachers work together to design and improve lessons, developing effective teaching methods.

8. Cultivating Perseverance

Regular lessons focused on problem solving, interspersed with occasional practice days, help students develop perseverance.

This approach leads to a deeper understanding of mathematics and higher performance in international assessments.