Strategies Used by Secondary Mathematics Teachers to Solve Proportion Problems

Twenty secondary mathematics teachers described their thinking as they solved four proportion problems (Task 1), explained how they would teach two of the problems (Task 2), and solved four similar problems after being asked to use proportion strategies (Task 3). Their solution strategies were classified using a nine-category scheme. Overall, the teachers were more successful with direct proportion than with inverse proportion. On Task 1 proportion strategies were used on only half the problems. On Task 3 three fourths of the responses depended upon proportion strategies. On Task 2 most teachers said they would use the same strategies in teaching the problems that they used in solving them.