The Prevalent Rate of Problem-solving Approach in Teaching Mathematics in Ghanaian Basic Schools

Abstract

Stakeholders of mathematics education decry the rate at which students’ performance are falling below expectation; they call for a shift to practical methods of teaching the subject in Ghanaian basic schools. The study explores the extent to which Ghanaian basic school mathematics teachers use problem-solving approach in their lessons. The participants, consisting of five hundred (500) basic school mathematics teachers, were randomly selected from all the ten (10) regions of Ghana. The data collection instruments were self-administered questionnaires, lesson observation checklists, and examination of class exercises. The Chi-square (goodness-of-fit) test indicated that there is a difference between the observed and expected values, and the occurrence of problem solving approach in mathematics lessons is not statistically less than 50% of the time in the basic schools, χ2 (2, 485) = 184.90, p < .05. Thus, a significant proportion of basic school teachers (i. e. 90.1%), do not frequently use problem-solving approach in teaching mathematics lessons. This result adds to empirical evidence available on difficulties in teaching mathematics through practical activities. The study therefore contributes an important idea for teacher training programs to enhance mathematics teaching.