ABSTRACT
Numerous studies have reported on the poor mathematics content knowledge of South African teachers, owing in large part to the persistent inequalities in schooling attributable to apartheid’s legacy. This chapter reports on a mathematics content course for second year student teachers, the instructional approach of which was informed by theories of mathematical problem-solving, specifically those of Schoenfeld and Polya
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The course thus included mathematical content as well as problem-solving lessons. In this chapter, I report on specific findings from the wider study, which aimed to determine how the course had impacted on the mathematical problem-solving proficiency of the student teachers. The findings are promising, with student teachers’ self-reporting indicating that they gained an understanding of the nature of problem-solving and of the importance of mathematical reasoning.
