Empirical research on problem solving and problem posing: a look at the state of the art

Abstract

Problem solving and problem posing have long been of interest to the mathematics education community. In this survey paper we first look at some of the seminal moments in the history of research on the important topics. We then use this history to position the state-of-the-art research being done in both problem solving and problem posing, before introducing the presented state-of-the-art developments in problem solving and problem posing. We then use this work as a backdrop against which to introduce the 16 empirical papers that make up this special issue. Together these 16 papers add nuance to what is already known about problem solving and problem posing; this nuance is the result of attending to very specific contexts and purposes in which these activities are embedded. We end the paper by discussing the future directions these fields can take.