Abstract
The current transformation of the curriculum in Gauteng Province is based on a plan to
improve languages and mathematics due to the poor performance of learners in general
and most especially in the Annual National Assessments (ANA). Among the strategies put in
place by the Department of Education to address the low performance and the poor results
in mathematics and languages was the introduction of the Gauteng Primary Language and
Mathematics Strategies (GPLMS).
The aim of this study was to engage in a descriptive analysis of the performance of Grade 3
learners at a Primary school in Ekurhuleni North District as regards to problem solving and
how teachers in Grade 3 engage with learners on problem solving tasks. One of the
objectives of the GPLMS was enhancement of effective problem solving instructions in
mathematics among teachers at primary schools.
The findings of descriptive analyses show that on overall the teachers are still grappling
with problem solving strategies and how to instruct in ways that enhance learners’ problem
solving skills in mathematics. The learners are still rooted in procedural methods of solving
problems and seem to lack the conceptual understanding that informs critical problem
solving skills.
M.Ed. (Mathematics Education)