Saudi female high school mathematics teachers’ beliefs and instructional practices about mathematical problem solving: A comparison between novice and experienced teachers

The purpose of this study is to explore the beliefs and instructional practices related to mathematical problem solving (MPS) among novice and experienced Saudi female high school mathematics teachers. The research addresses three main inquiries: the key beliefs of the teachers about MPS, the relationship between their beliefs and classroom practices, and the similarities and differences in beliefs and practices between novice and experienced teachers. This qualitative research follows a naturalistic approach employing case study methodology and thematic data analysis. Six teachers, three novice and three experienced, were purposively selected from four schools in Riyadh City. Data were collected through interviews (pre-observation and post-observation) and classroom observations. The findings suggest that both novice and experienced teachers hold neutral to negative beliefs about learning and teaching MPS such as being time consuming and beyond students’ abilities. It was also found that their beliefs about MPS were shaped by their early schooling experiences. Despite acknowledging MPS’s importance for students’ cognitive development and real-world application, participants admitted prioritising solving routine problems over MPS in their daily teaching due to time constraints required to cover other curriculum content. Interestingly, significant differences emerged between the novice and experienced teachers in their beliefs about the nature of mathematical problem and MPS. While novices perceive them from a morphological point of view, focusing on the form and structure, experienced teachers tend to stress on the situation and students’ engagement in the solution process. The findings also reveal that the relationship between teachers’ beliefs and teaching practices is complex. However, the teachers’ MPS-related teaching practices generally aligned with their beliefs in terms of favouring routine over non-routine problem-solving tasks, and their teaching practices often mirrored how they were themselves taught when they were in school and college. Based on the results, this study emphasises the need to break the cycle of ‘teaching as they were taught’ by activating MPS learning and teaching from the earliest stages of education. Moreover, pre-service and professional development programs should equip teachers with the theoretical knowledge and practical skills to effectively teach MPS.