Features of Contextual Problem-Solving by Secondary School Students

The purpose of the article is to study the peculiarities of the problem-solving process and to evaluate the effectiveness of using special strategies to improve students’ mathematical competence. The research methodology was based on a comparison of the learning outcomes of students in the control and experimental groups before and after the implementation of the special methodology. The results of pre-and posttesting showed an increase in the average score in both groups, but the progress of the experimental group was more pronounced. The analysis of the rate of learning progress showed an improvement in the skills of the experimental group, particularly in understanding and solving contextual mathematical problems. The study revealed typical problems of students related to the interpretation of mathematical terms, establishing the correct relationships between numbers, and performing arithmetic operations, especially with fractions. Gender analysis revealed slight differences in approaches to solving problems: girls showed greater progress in understanding the terms of problems and correctly drawing up equations, while boys showed greater progress in the accuracy of arithmetic calculations. The qualitative results showed that the use of the 6-step strategy contributed to the development of analytical thinking and critical skills, although the overall changes did not reach statistical significance. It was found that the use of interactive elements, in particular the mathematical dictionary, “Wall of Words,” helped the pupils of the experimental group to better memorize mathematical terms, associating them with the corresponding operations, and reduce the number of typical errors.