This mixed-methods study examines the role of single-subject mathematics teachers in implementing collaborative problem solving (CPS) as a pedagogical practice. While international assessments such as the 2015 PISA highlighted U.S. students’ relatively strong performance in CPS, research has primarily focused on defining CPS frameworks and assessments rather than exploring how teachers actually use and learn this pedagogy in classrooms. This study focuses on how mathematics teachers learn about, and use, CPS in their classrooms. A survey adapted from the 2015 PISA teacher questionnaire was distributed to 83 single-subject mathematics teachers, followed by in-depth semi-structured interviews with 15 participants. Findings indicate that teachers overwhelmingly perceive CPS as effective for enhancing student learning, implementing it at least monthly, with many using it weekly. Although statistical differences by grade level or experience were limited, high school teachers were more likely to assign long-term projects, and novice teachers more often used resource interdependence and grouping as a whole. Qualitative findings highlighted the importance of explicit instruction, questioning, feedback, scaffolding, and structured grouping in facilitating CPS. Teachers also emphasized challenges such as classroom management, student resistance, and lack of training. This study contributes to the literature by centering teachers’ voices in understanding CPS pedagogy and professional learning. Implications include strengthening teacher education and professional development to explicitly address CPS, and supporting math teachers in cultivating collaborative, inquiry-based classrooms that foster students’ critical thinking, communication, and problem-solving skills.
","abstract_html":"<p>This mixed-methods study examines the role of single-subject mathematics teachers in implementing collaborative problem solving (CPS) as a pedagogical practice. While international assessments such as the 2015 PISA highlighted U.S. students’ relatively strong performance in CPS, research has primarily focused on defining CPS frameworks and assessments rather than exploring how teachers actually use and learn this pedagogy in classrooms. This study focuses on how mathematics teachers learn about, and use, CPS in their classrooms. A survey adapted from the 2015 PISA teacher questionnaire was distributed to 83 single-subject mathematics teachers, followed by in-depth semi-structured interviews with 15 participants. Findings indicate that teachers overwhelmingly perceive CPS as effective for enhancing student learning, implementing it at least monthly, with many using it weekly. Although statistical differences by grade level or experience were limited, high school teachers were more likely to assign long-term projects, and novice teachers more often used resource interdependence and grouping as a whole. Qualitative findings highlighted the importance of explicit instruction, questioning, feedback, scaffolding, and structured grouping in facilitating CPS. Teachers also emphasized challenges such as classroom management, student resistance, and lack of training. This study contributes to the literature by centering teachers’ voices in understanding CPS pedagogy and professional learning. Implications include strengthening teacher education and professional development to explicitly address CPS, and supporting math teachers in cultivating collaborative, inquiry-based classrooms that foster students’ critical thinking, communication, and problem-solving skills.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Schleicher, Al Russell"],"institution":null,"degree_name":"Education, PhD","degree_level":"Restricted to Claremont Colleges Dissertation","degree_discipline":"School of Educational Studies","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Thomas Luschei","Valerie Ooka Pang"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2025,"date_issued":"2025-01-01T08:00:00Z","date_published":"2025-01-01T08:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T01:41:17Z","subjects":["Collaborative problem solving","Professional development","Mathematics teachers","High school","Grade levels","Education"],"languages":[],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://scholarship.claremont.edu/cgu_etd/1067","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Thomas Luschei","Valerie Ooka Pang"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Schleicher, Al Russell"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2026-05-11T07:00:00Z"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["School of Educational Studies"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Restricted to Claremont Colleges Dissertation"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Education, PhD"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Collaborative problem solving","Professional development","Mathematics teachers","High school","Grade levels","Education"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://scholarship.claremont.edu/cgu_etd/1067"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["This mixed-methods study examines the role of single-subject mathematics teachers in implementing collaborative problem solving (CPS) as a pedagogical practice. While international assessments such as the 2015 PISA highlighted U.S. students’ relatively strong performance in CPS, research has primarily focused on defining CPS frameworks and assessments rather than exploring how teachers actually use and learn this pedagogy in classrooms. This study focuses on how mathematics teachers learn about, and use, CPS in their classrooms. A survey adapted from the 2015 PISA teacher questionnaire was distributed to 83 single-subject mathematics teachers, followed by in-depth semi-structured interviews with 15 participants. Findings indicate that teachers overwhelmingly perceive CPS as effective for enhancing student learning, implementing it at least monthly, with many using it weekly. Although statistical differences by grade level or experience were limited, high school teachers were more likely to assign long-term projects, and novice teachers more often used resource interdependence and grouping as a whole. Qualitative findings highlighted the importance of explicit instruction, questioning, feedback, scaffolding, and structured grouping in facilitating CPS. Teachers also emphasized challenges such as classroom management, student resistance, and lack of training. This study contributes to the literature by centering teachers’ voices in understanding CPS pedagogy and professional learning. Implications include strengthening teacher education and professional development to explicitly address CPS, and supporting math teachers in cultivating collaborative, inquiry-based classrooms that foster students’ critical thinking, communication, and problem-solving skills.
"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Exploring Classroom Collaborative Problem Solving: An Examination of the Pedagogical Role and Professional Learning of Mathematics Teachers"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Thomas Luschei","Valerie Ooka Pang"],"dc:creator":["Schleicher, Al Russell"],"dc:date.available":["2026-05-11T07:00:00Z"],"dc:description.abstract":["This mixed-methods study examines the role of single-subject mathematics teachers in implementing collaborative problem solving (CPS) as a pedagogical practice. While international assessments such as the 2015 PISA highlighted U.S. students’ relatively strong performance in CPS, research has primarily focused on defining CPS frameworks and assessments rather than exploring how teachers actually use and learn this pedagogy in classrooms. This study focuses on how mathematics teachers learn about, and use, CPS in their classrooms. A survey adapted from the 2015 PISA teacher questionnaire was distributed to 83 single-subject mathematics teachers, followed by in-depth semi-structured interviews with 15 participants. Findings indicate that teachers overwhelmingly perceive CPS as effective for enhancing student learning, implementing it at least monthly, with many using it weekly. Although statistical differences by grade level or experience were limited, high school teachers were more likely to assign long-term projects, and novice teachers more often used resource interdependence and grouping as a whole. Qualitative findings highlighted the importance of explicit instruction, questioning, feedback, scaffolding, and structured grouping in facilitating CPS. Teachers also emphasized challenges such as classroom management, student resistance, and lack of training. This study contributes to the literature by centering teachers’ voices in understanding CPS pedagogy and professional learning. Implications include strengthening teacher education and professional development to explicitly address CPS, and supporting math teachers in cultivating collaborative, inquiry-based classrooms that foster students’ critical thinking, communication, and problem-solving skills.
"],"dc:identifier":["https://scholarship.claremont.edu/cgu_etd/1067"],"dc:subject":["Collaborative problem solving","Professional development","Mathematics teachers","High school","Grade levels","Education"],"dc:title":["Exploring Classroom Collaborative Problem Solving: An Examination of the Pedagogical Role and Professional Learning of Mathematics Teachers"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["School of Educational Studies"],"thesis:degree_level":["Restricted to Claremont Colleges Dissertation"],"thesis:degree_name":["Education, PhD"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T01:41:17Z"}