Resumen

HERNANDEZ RODRIGUEZ, Omar  y  VILLAFANE CEPEDA, Wanda. Preservice mathematics teachers’ errors while solving mathematical problems. Paradígma [online]. 2009, vol.30, n.1, pp.103-116. ISSN 1011-2251.

A phenomenological study about mathematical problem solving is described. Eight preservice mathematics teachers participated; six are studying to become teachers at elementary school -4^th to 6^th grades- and two at high school -7^th to 12^th grades-. The data was obtained through long interviews, problem solving sessions thinking out loud, and retrospective interviews immediately after the problem solving sessions. The objective of the long interviews was to determine the participants’ beliefs and declarative knowledge about this topic. The objective of the problem solving sessions was to determine the type of representation, strategies, and control processes that the participants use when solving problems. During the retrospective interviews, the participants have the opportunity to reflect about their performance. These techniques gave the researchers a comprehensive description of the phenomenon and allowed to contrast the participants’ beliefs against execution. The most frequent errors of the students when solving the problems are described and analyzed.

Palabras clave : Mathematical problem solving; errors when solving mathematical problems; pre service mathematics teachers.