The design of a mathematics problem using real-life context for young children

Abstract

In this paper the teachers’ learning journey on designing a mathematics problem that involves a real-life context is reported. This is part of a larger project undertaken in a primary school in Singapore where the teachers were engaged in planning, observing and critiquing mathematics lessons to investigate teaching and learning. These unique features from laboratory class cycles were used to facilitate the design and implementation of mathematics problems involving real-life context. Based on one cycle of a laboratory class of an authentic classroom lesson, the teachers’ construction of the mathematics problems embedded in real-life context is reported. The children’s solutions to one of the problems are also discussed in this paper.