A characterization of the problem-solving processes used by students in classroom

<p>My Ph.D.’s research (Favier, 2022) aims at characterizing the processes used by students when they solve problems in the ordinary context of the classroom, i.e., when the problem-solving session is led by the teacher. The chosen problems may require students to make trials and errors. I consider two levels of characterization: the outer structure (Lehmann et al., 2015) of problem solving processes in terms of timing and organizing of processes and the inner structure (Ibid) considering heuristics. In this paper, I focus on the outer structure of the processes. Embedded cameras installed on the students’ heads were used to collect audio-visual data as close as possible to the students’ work. The recorded work of 33 groups of two or three students (20 groups at the primary school and 13 at the secondary school level) for a total of 79 students are coded independently by a research assistant and by us using the framework for the analysis of videotaped problem-solving sessions by Schoenfeld (1985). It consists of cutting the students’ work into macroscopic chunks called episodes. The analysis of these empirical data leads us to discuss and enrich the descriptive model of problem-solving processes proposed by Rott et al (2021) with an additional dimension that allows us to take into account the interactions between students and teacher. The use of this enriched model allows us to identify three problem solvers’ profiles in terms of the process implemented. Some of these processes are linear like Pólya (1957) proposed in his model. Some others are cyclics like in Schoenfeld’s model (1985). The large majority are not supported by these two very well-known models which shows the contingency of the student’s work and, therefore, the limit of these two models (in particular Pólya’s model) used to teach problem solving.</p>