Exploring the Relationship Between Preservice Teachers' Conceptions of Problem Solving and Their Problem-Solving Performances

Despite the importance of teachers' conceptions of and competency in problem solving, limited attention is given to this area in the current literature. We examined 96 preservice elementary teachers' problem-solving conceptions and performances by having them define and create metaphors for problem solving and then investigated the relationships between their conceptions and problem-solving performances. We found that a large majority defined problem solving as a means to a solution and created end-product metaphors and that their conceptions of problem solving were related to their performances. This study contributes to the current literature on problem solving and the knowledge base of teacher education.