Date of Award
2025
Degree Type
Restricted to Claremont Colleges Dissertation
Degree Name
Education, PhD
Program
School of Educational Studies
Advisor/Supervisor/Committee Chair
DeLacy Ganley & Luke Duesbery
Dissertation or Thesis Committee Member
Thomas Luschei
Dissertation or Thesis Committee Member
Valerie Ooka Pang
Terms of Use & License Information
Rights Information
© 2025 Al R Schleicher
Keywords
Collaborative problem solving, Professional development, Mathematics teachers, High school, Grade levels
Subject Categories
Education
Abstract
This mixed-methods study examines the role of single-subject mathematics teachers in implementing collaborative problem solving (CPS) as a pedagogical practice. While international assessments such as the 2015 PISA highlighted U.S. students’ relatively strong performance in CPS, research has primarily focused on defining CPS frameworks and assessments rather than exploring how teachers actually use and learn this pedagogy in classrooms. This study focuses on how mathematics teachers learn about, and use, CPS in their classrooms. A survey adapted from the 2015 PISA teacher questionnaire was distributed to 83 single-subject mathematics teachers, followed by in-depth semi-structured interviews with 15 participants. Findings indicate that teachers overwhelmingly perceive CPS as effective for enhancing student learning, implementing it at least monthly, with many using it weekly. Although statistical differences by grade level or experience were limited, high school teachers were more likely to assign long-term projects, and novice teachers more often used resource interdependence and grouping as a whole. Qualitative findings highlighted the importance of explicit instruction, questioning, feedback, scaffolding, and structured grouping in facilitating CPS. Teachers also emphasized challenges such as classroom management, student resistance, and lack of training. This study contributes to the literature by centering teachers’ voices in understanding CPS pedagogy and professional learning. Implications include strengthening teacher education and professional development to explicitly address CPS, and supporting math teachers in cultivating collaborative, inquiry-based classrooms that foster students’ critical thinking, communication, and problem-solving skills.
ISBN
9798273325616
Recommended Citation
Schleicher, Al Russell. (2025). Exploring Classroom Collaborative Problem Solving: An Examination of the Pedagogical Role and Professional Learning of Mathematics Teachers. CGU Theses & Dissertations, 1067. https://scholarship.claremont.edu/cgu_etd/1067.
