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Encyclopedia of Mathematics Education pp 686–693 Cite as

Problem-Solving in Mathematics Education

  • Manuel Santos-Trigo 2  
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  • First Online: 01 January 2020

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Introduction

Problem-solving approaches appear in all human endeavors. In mathematics, activities such as posing or defining problems and looking for different ways to solve them are central to the development of the discipline. In mathematics education, the systematic study of what the process of formulating and solving problems entails and the ways to structure problem-solving approaches to learn mathematics has been part of the research agenda in mathematics education. How have research and practicing problem-solving approaches changed and evolved in mathematics education, and what themes are currently investigated? Two communities have significantly contributed to the characterization and development of the research and practicing agenda in mathematical problem-solving: mathematicians who recognize that the process of formulating, representing, and solving problems is essential in the development of mathematical knowledge (Polya 1945 ; Hadamard 1945 ; Halmos 1980 ) and mathematics...

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Santos-Trigo, M. (2020). Problem-Solving in Mathematics Education. In: Lerman, S. (eds) Encyclopedia of Mathematics Education. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-15789-0_129

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