Improving secondary school students’ mathematical problem-posing and problem-solving competences through an intervention of short-duration

Mathematical problem posing (MPP) is increasingly recognized as central to mathematical learning and as a valuable complement to mathematical problem solving (MPS). Yet classroom-based, theory-informed instructional interventions that target MPP and examine their effects on both MPP and MPS across students’ cognitive and affective domains remain scarce. Building on a prior systematic review and a meta-analysis, we designed and implemented a short, whole-class, teacher-led MPP intervention in two Grade 8 mathematics classrooms in China. Using a pre- and post-test design, we examined the intervention’s effects on students’ MPP and MPS competences. Results showed significant gains in MPP competence (conventional performance, d = 0.52; creative performance, d = 0.51; and posing self-efficacy, d = 0.33). Even larger gains were observed in MPS performance (d = 1.60), with a smaller but significant improvement in solving self-efficacy (d = 0.20). The findings contribute to theoretical understandings of the interconnection between MPP and MPS and suggest that targeted problem-posing instruction can also enhance students’ problem-solving competence. The study also provides preliminary evidence that a short-duration, classroom-based, research-informed MPP intervention can be integrated into regular mathematics instruction while supporting improvements in both MPP and MPS competences.