Teachers who pose open-ended questions to their students are helping their students in more ways than just increasing their mathematical knowledge. Problems that involve a variety of solutions and methods of arriving at those solutions promote creativity, expand imagination, stimulate interest in learning and allow students to approach the questions from their own point of view. Though the process takes time, open-ended problem-solving can create insightful discussions and create an atmosphere for teamwork.
When dealing with primary students, it is essential to pique their interest by posing open-ended questions that are relevant to them and their experience. Determining tax ratios or gas mileage is of little interest to them, unlikely to evoke much excitement. On the other hand, discussing the cost of a new game and figuring out the best ways to save up to purchase the new game will encourage the students to get involved in the process. Beneficial open-ended questions should implement more than one math topic at a time. This allows children to see that different areas of math are used to solve a variety of problems, not just at the time they are studying the topic in class.
The only real disadvantage to open-ended questioning is that it is a time-consuming process, making it difficult for the teacher to cover as much material as she would with more traditional teaching methods. The advantages, on the other hand, justify the time and effort put into this creative teaching method. By taking the emphasis off isolated memorization, teachers can inspire students to think for themselves. Perhaps the best part about open-ended questioning is that it requires the students to explain how they arrived at their conclusions. These explanations provide powerful insight into the mind of each child, aiding the teacher in assessing the student's understanding of the concepts.
Some examples of open-ended questions for primary mathematics are as follows:
John had a lemonade stand where he sold each cup of lemonade for 10 cents. A man asked John for two cups of lemonade and handed him 50 cents. John gave the man 25 cents change. Did John give the man the correct change? Explain your answer. Show two coin combinations John could have used to give the man correct change.
Make a four-digit even number using the following digits: 5, 3, 7, 1, 6. Explain why your number is even.
In the school cafeteria, four people can sit together at a table. If two tables are placed together, end to end, six people can sit together. How many tables must be placed together in a row in order for the entire class of 20 students to sit together?