Math-LIGHT problem posing by three experts with different fields of expertise: Why? What? and How?

Abstract

The Math-LIGHT program is directed at promoting literacy-rich mathematical instruction in middle school. A team of designers with different types of expertise pose Math-Light problems. We perform comparative analysis of problem-posing activities by experts with different types of expertise. We demonstrate that Activity Theory (Leontiev, 1978) is a powerful theoretical framework for the analysis of the structure of problem posing activity. Framed by activity theory we ask “Why?” questions to understand the main goals of posing problems; “What?” questions are directed at the characteristics of the PP process and PP products; and “How?” questions are aimed at identifying the tools used by the designers to fit the conditions in which the problems are implemented. We find that the three designers’ problem-posing activities are complimentary and suggest that the cooperative problem posing process is essential for posing problems that integrate different perspectives and thus allow more goals to be attained.