Teacher and student views of mathematics word problem-solving task at senior high school level

Abstract

Due to the importance of word problems in mathematics, curriculum planners for high school mathematics in Ghana have recommended the inclusion of word problems in mathematics textbooks, teaching, and tests. Nevertheless, examination reports, research findings, and teachers' discourse show that high school students shy away from answering word problem tasks. Using a phenomenology enquiry, this study explored the teaching and learning experiences of teachers and students regarding the inclusion of word problems in the high school mathematics curriculum. Twenty-eight participants consisting of 12 mathematics teachers and 16 students were purposively sampled from four senior high schools in the Ashanti Region of Ghana. Semi-structured interviews were used to gather the views of the participants while thematic analysis and percentages were used to analyse the data. The study showed that both teachers and students appreciated the importance of word problems. Nonetheless, more students than teachers used word problems to bridge the wedge between mathematics concepts and real-life applications. Besides, more teachers than students used word problems to help students internalise mathematics concepts. Additionally, the study also showed that instructional-related and student-related factors caused about a third of senior high school students to dislike worded problems. Based on the findings in this study, it was recommended that teachers should consciously teach mathematics vocabulary, re-word and translate worded tasks where necessary. Consequently, students’ dislike for word problem-solving may reduce.