SurveyonMathematicsProblemSolvingandProofNAME:__________________

NOTE:AllresponseswillbekeptconfidentialbyProfessorsDewarandBennett.
Check,iftrue:IhavetakenMATH190______.IhavetakenMATH191______.
IamcurrentlyenrolledinthefollowingMATHclasses:___________________________
1.Brieflydescribethemostinterestingproblemyouhaveeverworkedon.

2.Brieflydescribewhatyouthinkmathematicsis

3.Brieflydescribewhatfeaturesyouthinkmakeamathematicsprobleminteresting.

4.Brieflydescribewhatyouthinkthepurpose(s)ofproofinmathematicsis(are).

SurveyonMathematics
CircletheunderlinedwordinStatements128thatmostcloselydescribesyourapproachto
andattitudestowardproblemsolving.
1.IfIamgivenaproblemquiteabitdifferentfromtheexamplesinthebook,Ican
Always

Usually

Sometimes

Rarely

Never
figureitoutmyself.
2.Drawingpicturesorimaginingrealphysicalsituations
Always

Usually

Sometimes

Rarely

Never
helpsmedomathematics.
3.Readingaproblemmorethanonceis

Always

Usually

Sometimes

Rarely

Never
awasteoftime.
4.WhenIhavefinishedworkingaproblem,I
Always

Usually

Sometimes

Rarely

Never
checkmycalculationsforerrors.
5.Thereare
Always

Usually

Sometimes

Rarely

Never
obviouswaystosolveagoodmathematicsproblem.
6.I Always

Usually

Sometimes

Rarely

Never
stopthinkingaboutaproblemafterIgetananswer.
7.WhenIgettheanswertoaproblem,I
Always

Usually

Sometimes

Rarely

Never
lookbackattheproblemtoseeifmyanswermakessense.
8.I Always

Usually

Sometimes

Rarely

Never
trytorestateanewmathprobleminmyownwords.
9.Solvingamathematicalproblem
Always

Usually

Sometimes

Rarely

Never
involvesfindingaruleorformulathatapplies.
10.Iam
Always

Usually

Sometimes

Rarely

Never
interestedinknowinghowmathematicalformulasarederivedorwheretheycamefrom.
11.I Always

Usually

Sometimes

Rarely

Never
havetroublegettingstartedonaproblemthatisnewtome.

12.I Always

Usually

Sometimes

Rarely

Never
enjoyexploringmathematicalrelationships.
13.I Always

Usually

Sometimes

Rarely

Never
enjoysolvingproblemsthatrequiremetofigureoutmyownindividualapproach.
14.I Always

Usually

Sometimes

Rarely

Never
learnmathematicsbestwhensomeoneshowsmeexactlyhowtodotheproblemandIcan
practicethetechnique.
15.WhenIhavefinishedworkingaproblem,I
Always

Usually

Sometimes

Rarely

Never
checkmycalculationsforerrors.
16.ForthemathproblemsIhaveencountered,thereare
Always

Usually

Sometimes

Rarely

Never
obviouswaystosolvethem.
17.Afterreadingaproblem,I
Always

Usually

Sometimes

Rarely

Never
trytorememberifIhaveeverdoneasimilarproblembefore.
18.I Always

Usually

Sometimes

Rarely

Never
enjoysolvingproblemsthatareanapplicationofaparticularruleorformula.
19.Ican
Always

Usually

Sometimes

Rarely

Never

thinkofatleastonewaytobegintoworkonamathproblemthatIhaveneverseenbefore.
20.I Always

Usually

Sometimes

Rarely

Never
enjoysolvingproblemsthataresimilartoaproblemIhaveseensolved.
21.Afterobtainingacorrectanswer,I
Always

Usually

Sometimes

Rarely

Never
wanttoknowanexplanationforwhythesolutionsworks.
22.IfIknowafewconcepts,Ican
Always

Usually

Sometimes

Rarely

Never
figureouttherest.
23.I Always

Usually

Sometimes

Rarely

Never
enjoysolvingproblemsthatrequireresearchandoriginalthinking.
24.IfIcan'tsolveaproblemin10minutes,Iwill
Always

Usually

Sometimes

Rarely

Never
beabletosolveit.

25.I Always

Usually

Sometimes

Rarely

Never
taketimetoestimatewhattheanswertoaproblemwillbebeforeactuallydoingtheproblem.
26.I Always

Usually

Sometimes

Rarely

Never
readaproblemmorethanoncetomakecertainIunderstandit.
27.AfterIhavesolvedaproblem,I
Always

Usually

Sometimes

Rarely

Never
trytothinkofadifferentwaytosolveit.
28.I Always

Usually

Sometimes

Rarely

Never
enjoydoinglargenumbersofeasymathematicsproblems.

Circletheresponsethatmostcloselyindicateshowyoufeelabouteachstatement124.
strongly
strongly
disagree
disagree

neutral

agree

agree

1.

IusuallybelievethatIcando
wellinamathematicscourse.

SD

SA

2.

Mostgoodmathematicsproblems
canbedoneinasinglesitting.

SD

SA

3.

Ifrequentlydiscusshomeworkand
classnoteswithotherstudents.

SD

SA

strongly
strongly
disagree
disagree

neutral

agree

agree

4.

Themainbenefitfromstudying
mathematicsisdevelopingtheability
tofollowdirections.

SD

SA

IfIdonotunderstandsomethingin
class,Iwillusuallyasktheteachera
questionaboutit.

SD

SA

6.

Iusuallytakeclearandcomplete
notesinamathematicsclass.

SD

SA

7.

Afteraconjecturehasbeenproven,itis
possibletofindacounterexample.

SD

SA

8.

Ialmostalwaysmakeapersistent
efforttodomyhomeworkbeforethe
nextclasssession.

SD

SA

5.

9.

IfIhavequestionsarisingfromthe
homework,Iaskmyteacheror
anotherstudent.

SD

SA

10. Ifindawaytocheckmysolutionstohome
workproblemsbeforethenextclass.
SD

SA

11. Inmathematicsyoucanbecreativeand
discoverthingsbyyourself.

SD

SA

12. IfIhavetroubleunderstandingthetextbook,
Ifindotherwaystomastertheconcepts. SD

SA

13. TheaverageU.S.citizenrarelyencounters
applicationsofmathematicsinhis/her
everydaylife.
SD

SA

14. Apersonmustpossessaspecial
talenttodowellinmathematics.

SA

15. Noreallynewmathematicaltheories
havebeendiscoveredsincethe1800's.

SD

SD
D
N
A
SA
strongly
strongly
disagree
disagree

neutral

agree

agree

16. Mathematicsisacreativeendeavor.

SD

SA

17.Sometimesverytheoretical
mathematicalresultsarelaterfound
tohaverealworldapplications.

SD

SA

18. Iworkpersistentlyinamathematicscourse
regardlessofhowwellIdoonthetests.
SD

SA

19. Iamusuallyenthusiasticabout
learninginmathematicscourses.

SD

SA

20. Talkingovermathproblemswithanother
personisalegitimateproblemsolving
strategy.
SD

SA

21. Expertproblemsolversoftenfindtrialand
errorandotherseeminglyhaphazard
methodsarenecessaryinmathematics.
SD

SA

22. Imissatmosttwoclasshours
persemester.

SA

SD

23. IfIseefiveexampleswhereaformulaholds,

thenIamconvincedtheformulaistrue.
24. Iusuallyrereadmyclassnotes
carefullybeforethenextclass.

SD

SA

SD

SA

Pleaseanswerthenextfourquestionsonthebackofthissheet.
1.

Onthebackofthissheetlistasmanygeneralproblemsolvingstrategies(suchas,
drawapicture)asyoucan(upto10).

2.

Onthebackofthissheetlistasmanycareersasyoucan(upto10)thatare
appropriateforapersonwithacollegedegreeinmathematics.

3.

Onthebackofthissheetlistasmanyfamousmathematicians(livingordead)asyou
can(upto10).

4.

Onthebackofthissheetlistasmanyfieldsorareasofmathematicsasyoucan(up
to10)