Experimental research on perception and cognition has shown that inherent and manipulated visual features of mathematics problems impact individuals' problem-solving behavior and performance. In a recent study, we manipulated the spacing between symbols in arithmetic expressions to examine its effect on 174 undergraduate students' arithmetic…

Successful word problem performance often requires understanding the linguistic relations between characters and objects. However, the keyword method promotes associating specific words with mathematical operations while neglecting the situational context. Research has thoroughly investigated the detrimental effects of individuals associating…

Rational numbers are represented by multiple notations: fractions, decimals, and percentages. Whereas previous studies have investigated affordances of these notations for representing different types of information (DeWolf et al., 2015; Tian et al., 2020), the present study investigated their affordances for solving different types of arithmetic…

The contribution focuses on issues related to the implementation of formative assessment methods into inquiry based teaching, by means of issues related to solving twelve multiple-step arithmetic word problems based on operations with natural and rational numbers. These word problems have multiple correct solution procedures and the presented…

The aim of this paper is to describe and analyze how a group of prospective teachers create problems to develop proportional reasoning either freely or from a given situation across different contexts, and the difficulties they encounter. Additionally, it identifies their beliefs about what constitutes a good problem and assesses whether these…

Objective: When students learn or solve problems, attentional resources are depleted; rest breaks may restore cognitive functioning in support of learning. Research framed by attention restoration theory holds that exposure to natural environments may be another means to restore attentional resources. The study investigated the effects of…

Background: Traditional math instruction that emphasizes procedures and rote memorization is common in math classes, particularly within the United States. Students may be able to perform steps and recite information, but flexible thinking in math is also an important ability. Lay theories assume that extensive experience in math would lead to…

We analyzed the solution pathways and errors found in the written responses of 469 prospective teachers solving an equation containing fractions. The majority (332, or 70%) used an algebraic method; 141 of the 332 (42%) were correct, and 22% of the algebraic methods were abandoned before a solution was obtained. We identified the steps in the…

This research pursued a fine-grained analysis of the acquisition of a procedural skill. In two experiments (n = 29 and n = 27), adults practiced 12 alphabet arithmetic problems (e.g., C + 3 = C D E F) in two sessions with 20 practice blocks in each. If learning reflected speed up of a counting algorithm, response time (RT) speed up should be…

One of the fundamental topics taught in the microeconomics class is minimizing economic costs. It includes understanding the concept of derivatives and applying them. However, most of the first-year undergraduate students find calculus difficult to understand, which also results in poor knowledge of optimization. We use the method based on the…

When, how, and why students use conceptual knowledge during math problem solving is not well understood. We propose that when solving routine problems, students are more likely to recruit conceptual knowledge if their procedural knowledge is weak than if it is strong, and that in this context, metacognitive processes, specifically feelings of…

The purpose of this case study is to examine the problems that prospective primary school teachers posed related to the basic mathematical operations with whole numbers and to determine their problem posing abilities. The data was collected from seventy-two prospective primary school teachers through the Semi-Structured Problem Posing…

The aim of the study was to determine the arithmetic and algebraic problem-solving approaches of prospective mathematics teachers in the Department of Elementary Mathematics Education, and mathematics teachers in secondary schools. The study adopted mixed methods research design using exploratory sequential pattern. The participants of the study…

Problem solving is a key priority in school mathematics. Central to the valuable role played by problem solving is the quality of the problems posed. While we recognize the features of good problems and how to support learners in solving problems, less is known about the ways in which prospective teachers' (PTs) conceptions of what constitutes a…

The aim of this study is to determine the non-routine problem solving performances of mathematics teacher candidates. A descriptive survey model was used for this work and it was conducted with 50 teacher candidates studying elementary mathematics teaching in a medium-sized university in Turkey. To determine the non-routine problem solving…