ABSTRACT
As a result of reforms in mathematics education that started in many countries in the late 1980s, schools were encouraged to implement a constructivist teaching approach, often referred to as activity-based or problem-based mathematics. Teachers are expected to create learning situations that provide opportunities for children to discover mathematical relationships and develop essential number skills by engaging in problem solving, rather than through traditional drill and practice of arithmetic procedures (National Council of Teachers of Mathematics 2005). A constructivist approach places emphasis on helping students move beyond practising routine calculations to a much deeper understanding of mathematical concepts. It has been said that too often in the past, students have been expected to remember methods, rules and facts without grasping the underpinning concepts or making real sense of mathematics so that they can use it independently (OfSTED 2008).
