Exploring Relationship between Scientific Reasoning Skills and Mathematics Problem Solving

Reasoning is considered to be an important proficiency in national mathematics curricula both in Australia (ACARA, 2014) and Malaysia (MOE, 2013). However, the nature of reasoning that supports learning and problem solving in mathematics is an area that requires further study (Schoenfeld, 2013). In this study we explored the link between "Scientific Reasoning Skills" (SRS) and mathematics problem solving performance among a cohort of Malaysian students. As expected, there was a positive relationship but the level of correlation between these two variables was moderate. Although the High-Achievement group performed significantly better than their peers in the Low-Achievement group in their solution outcomes, overall, all students exhibited low-levels of SRS. These findings suggest that while SRS could play a role in problem solving, components of SRS need further analysis in order to better explain how reasoning in science could facilitate problem solving processes.