Swedish students' knowledge of both mathematics and reading comprehension has deteriorated in recent years. Scientists are discussing whether there is a connection between these areas and that the pupils deteriorating math skills may have something to do with their increasingly lower results in terms of reading comprehension. To investigate this possible connection, I conducted a survey among students in ninth grade and have come to the conclusion that the scientists are right: this connection absolutely exist. Students who received a high score on tasks designed to test students' mathematical problem-solving skills, also received high results on the reading comprehension test. And students who received a poor performance on the problem-solving tasks, were also low performers in the reading comprehension test. The students who received low scores on the problem-solving tasks, wasn’t automatically scoring low on the mathematics test, as you might think. Therefore, I conclude that there is a greater connection between students' reading comprehension and ability to solve mathematical problem-solving tasks than between their abilities in problem-solving and pure mathematics. From this I conclude that reading has a major impact on students' problem-solving skills, which is why I believe that reading should have a greater role in mathematics education.

This mixed methods research design, which was modelled on the constructivist view of schooling, sets out to investigate the effect of developing mathematical problem solving skills of grade 8 learners on their performance and achievement in mathematics. To develop the mathematical problem solving skills of the experimental group, a problem-centred teaching and learning environment was created in which problem posing and solving were the key didactic mathematical activity. The effect of the intervention programme on the experimental group was compared with the control group by assessing learners’ problem solving processes, mathematical problem solving skills, reasoning and cognitive processes, performance and achievement in mathematics. Data were obtained through questionnaires, a mathematical problem solving skills inventory, direct participant observation and questioning, semi-structured interviews, learner journals, mathematical tasks, written work, pre- and post- multiple-choice and word-problem tests. Data analysis was largely done through descriptive analysis and the findings assisted the researcher to make recommendations and suggest areas that could require possible further research. / Mathematics Education / M. Ed. (Mathematical Education)

This mixed methods research design, which was modelled on the constructivist view of schooling, sets out to investigate the effect of developing mathematical problem solving skills of grade 8 learners on their performance and achievement in mathematics. To develop the mathematical problem solving skills of the experimental group, a problem-centred teaching and learning environment was created in which problem posing and solving were the key didactic mathematical activity. The effect of the intervention programme on the experimental group was compared with the control group by assessing learners’ problem solving processes, mathematical problem solving skills, reasoning and cognitive processes, performance and achievement in mathematics. Data were obtained through questionnaires, a mathematical problem solving skills inventory, direct participant observation and questioning, semi-structured interviews, learner journals, mathematical tasks, written work, pre- and post- multiple-choice and word-problem tests. Data analysis was largely done through descriptive analysis and the findings assisted the researcher to make recommendations and suggest areas that could require possible further research. / Mathematics Education / M. Ed. (Mathematical Education)