Pre-service teachers' use of problem solving skills in dealing with simultaneous equations involving word problems

Abstract

This study investigated how the use of problem solving techniques could improve pre-service teachers’ performance in word problems of simultaneous equations as well as interest in the subject. The second-year pre-service teachers at the Wesley College of Education, Kumasi, were involved in the study. The study employed the survey design and data were collected using pre-test, post-test and questionnaire/interview. The data collected were analysed using descriptive statistics. The results indicated that the performance of the pre-service teachers’ on word problems of simultaneous equations had tremendously improved after going through the problem-solving skills. It was observed that the pre-service teachers after going through the research project activities grew in confidence in solving word problems involving simultaneous equations. It was therefore recommended among others that the mathematics curriculum for pre-service training should be reviewed to ensure the development of and use of problem solving techniques in the teaching and learning of mathematics.