Nomthandazo Bhekiswayo Dataset

This qualitative multiple-case study examines how five Grade 7 mathematics teachers in South Africa's Gauteng North district teach and assess mathematical problem-solving, and how they themselves experience that process. Using classroom observations (10 lessons) and semi-structured interviews (5 teachers), analyzed through thematic analysis guided by the Theory of Didactical Situations, the researchers found a gap between policy intent and classroom reality.Key findings:Teachers used a range of assessment types required by the curriculum (classwork, homework, tests, etc.), but these were almost entirely textbook-derived and rarely demanded genuine problem-solving reasoning.Classroom interaction was dominated by teacher-led recitation: when learners struggled or fell silent, teachers immediately demonstrated the solution rather than guiding learners through it.Only one of the five teachers used a structured, learner-centered problem-solving method (Pólya's heuristic), and even that was limited to a brief two-minute independent work period.In interviews, teachers expressed genuine belief in and understanding of problem-solving pedagogy, but cited time pressure, curriculum pacing, and testing demands as the main barriers to putting it into practice.Conclusion: The limited presence of problem-solving instruction isn't due to teachers not knowing or valuing it, it reflects structural/systemic constraints. The authors argue that professional development should target both task design and teachers' in-the-moment responses to student difficulty, alongside addressing systemic time pressures, rather than focusing on just one lever.Limitations: Small sample (5 teachers, one district), short data collection window (4 months, 2 lessons + 1 interview per teacher) so findings are meant to be transferable/illustrative rather than statistically generalizable.