Abstract:

Problem solving is a common part of everyday life. For this reason, many of the world's leading experts agree that the core of key competencies for life and work in the future world is not only the acquisition of basic literacy (i.e. linguistic, mathematical, science, ICT), but the ability to solve non-standard tasks and problems. In these tasks the elements and concepts are interconnected not only from mathematics but from different fields and requiring different solutions. Several recent PISA researches showed that students of many countries can solve algorithmic mathematics tasks, but the problem of many students (including Czech) is solving non-standard mathematics tasks and problems. Although mathematics education has always been considered an important part of the Czech educational system, it still does not fully guarantee the development of all competences for solving such tasks and problems. One of the many reasons may be teachers' knowledge of non-standard tasks or their level of understanding these tasks.

This paper presents the identification of the level of preparedness and success of non-standard tasks and problems among mathematics teaching students in the Czech Republic. This research is submitted to students of mathematics education at selected faculties of education in the Czech Republic. The research findings are based on exploring methods including a questionnaire survey, non-standard didactic test or interviews and qualitatively or quantitatively processed with using tables and graphs. The research conclusions may contribute to detection of future mathematics teachers’ gained level and experience with non-standard tasks and the forms of application of these tasks in an educational process.

Keywords:

Mathematics, non-standard tasks, problems, teaching, students.