Opinions of pre-service primary mathematics teachers about problem solving and proving

This study aims to reveal different aspects of the opinions of pre-service primary mathematics teachers about problem solving and proof. Accordingly, the research is carried out on 158 pre-service teachers studying at all grades of primary mathematics teaching in a state university in the Eastern Anatolia Region of Turkey during 2013-2014 academic year fall semester. The study concludes that most of the students define a problem as a "statement waiting to be solved". Majority of the pre-service teachers understand problem solving as "overcoming challenges". Most of the pre-service teachers define proof as "verification or falsification" and "explanation", and accordingly, proving as "verifying or falsifying" and "explaining". Pre-service teachers stated that the major difference between proving and problem solving is while the former is a verification, the latter is an activity of reaching a result. It is concluded that opinions of pre-service teachers about the relation between problem solving and proving are not distinctive. Moreover, opinions of pre-service teachers are evaluated and discussed according to grades.