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How to help students problem solve with the Meta-Problem Method

Picking the problem

Problem solving in the classroom usually means teaching students specific methods to solve specific problems. We rarely, if ever, teach them how to pick the right problem to solve.

The Meta-Problem Method addresses this challenge, while also teaching the general skills that enable students to be better problem solvers. It’s about identifying the best problem to solve, knowing there is a tradeoff between the value of solving a particular problem and the effort it takes to solve it. To learn more about the approach, click here.

Charcoal drawing of school

Nuances matter

Your students may not know what the goals and options are, or how to weigh the nuances between them. Those nuances can make a big difference.

For example, a teacher who wants to teach students about fractions might face these questions:

  • Which math problem should I give my students to help them practice fractions?
  • Which math problem should I give my students to help them practice recognizing whether they should use fractions or not?

While they sound similar, those are two quite different problems, with quite different solutions. A skilled teacher needs to solve both problems.

What’s the purpose of the problem?

Students are rarely told why a problem has been set up the way it has, i.e. the purpose of the problem.

When a student gets a “wrong” answer, it could be because they did not understand the method, or because they did not understand the purpose of the problem. Suppose a student is asked how to divide half a pizza among four friends.

​A student might miss that they started with only half a pizza and give a wrong answer. There are also ways they might give a “wrong” answer, which is somehow not incorrect:

  • If they think they are being tested on long division and decimals, when in fact they are being asked to practice fractions, they will give a “wrong” answer.​
  • If they think they are being tested on fractions when in fact they were being asked to practice long division and decimals, they will give a “wrong” answer.​

Support and insight

Here are two ways to give your students a window into deciding which problem to solve:

  • A student makes a mistake – support them by helping them find for themself where the error crept in. Did they miss that they needed to divide by 2? Did they multiply where they should have divided? What strategies can they use in the future to check their work?
  • A student uses the wrong method – support them by talking about how the methods are similar or different. What did they miss that was supposed to help them know which method to use? Which clues should they be looking for to know the right approach in the future?

Behavioral problems too

The Meta-Problem Method can help students with poor behavioral choices as well as academic problems:

​A student is fighting with a friend – help them think about the difference between how they wanted things to go and how they went. What decisions can they make to improve the situation? Is everyone on the same page about what they are trying to accomplish together?

This is the heart of using the Meta-Problem Method, talking directly about what your goals are and what decisions you can make to try to achieve those goals (i.e what is the best problem to solve).

Choose an example below to learn more about the Meta-Problem Method and how it can help guide your decisions.