USF St. Petersburg campus Faculty Publications
The effects of Polya’s heuristic and diary writing on children’s problem solving.
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
2012
ISSN
1033-2170
Abstract
This paper presents the results of a study that aimed at increasing students' problem-solving skills. Polya's () heuristic for problem solving was used and students were required to articulate their thought processes through the use of a structured diary. The diary prompted students to answer questions designed to engage them in the phases of Polya's () heuristic. While it appeared as though most students did not internalise the diary questions, further analysis of students' responses indicated that most students showed improvement in their solution strategies. These results indicate that having students write about their thinking may be beneficial for developing their problem-solving skills.
Publisher
Springer
Recommended Citation
Hensberry, K. K. R., & Jacobbe, T. (2012). The effects of Polya’s heuristic and diary writing on children’s problem solving. Mathematics Education Research Journal, 24(1), 59-85. doi: 10.1007/s13394-012-0034-7
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.
Comments
Abstract only. Full-text article is available through licensed access provided by the publisher. Published in Mathematics Education Research Journal, 24(1), 59-85. doi: 10.1007/s13394-012-0034-7.