The Relevance of using Heuristic Strategies Problem Solving Strategies in your Math Lessons

Abstract

This article demonstrates the relevance of using heuristic problem-solving strategies in lessons of Mathematics, as a fundamental requirement with multiple valences in building thought operations, which leads to enhancing school performance. Our study aims at elaborating a methodological model that may fully exploit heuristic didactic strategies in the heuristic solving of problems. The organization of the study will focus on improving the use and efficiency of heuristic mathematical techniques by relating to heuristic problem solving. The teaching strategy creates circumstances for building the students’ learning strategies and the learning methods determine the optimization of the teaching strategies. Schematically, our aim is to build a learning situation where the student learns (through guidance), builds (through semi-guidance) or elaborates (independently) strategies for learning the new content, solving strategies or even strategies for the self-guidance and control of one’s own way of thinking. An essential element in elaborating the teaching strategy is selecting heuristic methods and procedures. Various methods were applied during the research: conversation, experiment, analysis of activity products, the method of the tests, statistical processing of the data. The research was conducted during the 2014-2015 school year, involving two groups, each of them comprising 24 students: experimental group – the 8th grade from “Octavian Voicu†Middle School, Bacău, and a control group – the 8th grade from “Miron Costin†Middle School, Bacău.