| dc.description.abstract | Mathematics is a crucial component of basic ability assessment and an essential foundational course in national education. In today′s era, learning mathematics is no longer just about passing exams, but an important path to cultivate students′ logical thinking, problem-solving abilities, and innovative potential. Therefore, enhancing students′ interest in learning mathematics, strengthening their self-efficacy, reducing math anxiety, and establishing self-directed learning habits are important teaching objectives.
This study adopts a design research methodology, focusing primarily on innovative design of teaching materials and educational activities. The research subjects include 23 fifth and sixthgrade students and one mathematics teacher from an elementary school in Taoyuan City. We used mathematics interest questionnaires, math anxiety questionnaires, and math self-efficacy questionnaires for pre- and post-tests. Descriptive statistics and Wilcoxon signed-rank test were used to analyze the results, supplemented by interviews for discussion.
In terms of instructional design, we introduced an open-ended mathematical problemthinking model and arranged for students to participate in presentation activities. The
curriculum design incorporates the concept of open-ended problems, emphasizing the thought process of problem-solving rather than single answers. We set multiple thought-provoking points in the problems, guiding students to think from multiple angles, stimulating their desire to explore, and cultivating their abilities to discover, analyze, and solve problems. Simultaneously, we adopted a group collaboration approach to problem-solving, encouraging
students to think from different perspectives and generate multiple possible answers.
Research results show that integrating open-ended problems into classroom teaching activities had no significant impact on mathematics interest, math self-efficacy, or math anxiety. However, this study emphasizes the importance of open-ended problems in mathematics education. They not only stimulate students′ creativity, spirit of inquiry, and critical thinking skills but also help to improve their math self-efficacy. Combining the concept of grit mathematics, we believe this teaching method has the potential to cultivate students′ ability to persistently face challenges, enhancing their long-term interest and engagement in mathematics
learning. This study provides a new perspective on the application of open-ended problems in mathematics education, laying a foundation for future related research and teaching practices, and highlighting its value and contribution to innovative mathematics education. | en_US |