Students learn mathematics best when they actively explore problems, connect solution methods, and synthesize ideas at just the right moment. Yet in many classrooms, this balance tips too quickly toward telling students how to solve problems, leaving less room for them to do the real mathematical work. "Teaching Mathematics Through Problem…

This monograph, the second in a series intended as a resource for middle-level leaders, highlights three successful approaches that support student involvement in learning: problem-based learning, service learning, and student-led conferencing. Each approach is reported to have its roots in constructivism, which allows students to apply classroom…