Research Proposal by Tang Shunting

In the primary problem-solving video, these observations were made:
· Teacher got pupils to discuss and solve problems in groups.
· Teacher often got them to talk among themselves to confirm statements made.
· Pupils interacted well with one another and were engaged in ‘mathematical discourse’.
· Pupils were observed to be sharing and justifying their strategies with their peers.

Research proposal:
What is the relationship of peer interaction with mathematical problem solving performances?

Research method:
The study can be carried out by observing 2 different groups of students for their problem solving performances. A pretest is carried out to check for students’ mathematical problem solving performances. After which, both groups will undergo an instruction phase where a series of problem-solving lessons will be conducted by the same teacher using the same materials. During this process, the first group of students will often get to interact with their peers in solving the problems. Teacher will get them to talk to each other about the problem, discuss possible strategies, carry out solution, share different strategies and check on each other’s solutions. The second group of students will not be allowed to interact with their peers. They solve problems individually and have no chance to see and check how their peers solve the same problem. After the instruction phase, a posttest is carried out to check for their mathematical problem solving performances.
A correlational study is then carried out to find out if the presence of peer interaction will have an effect on students’ mathematical performances.

The findings for this research can provide insights for practitioners in planning problem solving instruction and in rethinking the role of group discussions in the mathematics classroom.
Another possible area of research generated from this study can be the investigation role of mathematics discourse in the classroom.

Blogs is a useful tool in communicating and sharing ideas to the targeted audience. In this case, a blog on mathematical problem solving research is able to gather and share insights from other students and researchers in a particular research area. This makes the process of inquiry and research more efficient.