Abstract:
Three grade three mathematics textbooks were selected
arbitrarily (every other) from a total of six currently
used in the schools of Ontario. These textbooks were
examined through content analysis in order to determine
the extent (i. e., the frequency of occurrence) to which
problem solving strategies appear in the problems and
exercises of grade three mathematics textbooks, and how
well they carry through the Ministry's educational goals
set out in The Formative Years.
Based on Polya's heuristic model, a checklist was developed
by the researcher. The checklist had two main
categories, textbook problems and process problems and a
finer classification according to the difficulty level of
a textbook problem; also six commonly used problem solving
strategies for the analysis of a process problem. Topics
to be analyzed were selected from the subject guideline
The Formative Years, and the same topics were selected
from each textbook. Frequencies of analyzed problems
and exercises were compiled and tabulated textbook by
textbook and topic by topic. In making comparisons,
simple frequency count and percentage were used in the
absence of any known criteria available for judging highor low frequency. Each textbook was coded by three coders
trained to use the checklist.
The results of analysis showed that while there
were large numbers of exercises in each textbook, not
very many were framed as problems according to Polya' s
model and that process problems form a small fraction of
the number of analyzed problems and exercises. There
was no pattern observed as to the systematic placement
of problems in the textbooks.
