ABSTRACT
I spent a large part of the 1982–83 academic year at the Mathematics Education Centre at Chelsea College, University of London. During the time I was in England, I spoke with many educators at various academic levels and visited institutions and teachers’ centers that are involved in the preservice and in-service education of teachers and in the preparation of curriculum materials. In this paper, I present some of my observations regarding the nature of mathematical problem solving in the British experience as evidenced by official reports, research studies, the development of curriculum materials, and theoretical models. In contrast to this evidence are my observations of a large number of classroom situations, including some highly recommended as places to send my own children. In most classrooms, I found a general lack of instruction in problem solving and in many cases an ignorance on the part of classroom teachers of the concepts of problem solving that were being advocated at the teachers’ centers and by teacher educators.
