Using Open-Ended Problems to Enhance Students' Mathematical Modeling Skills: Where Should We Build the Hospital?

The purpose of this research was to investigates the impact of teaching mathematics through open-ended problems on enhancing students’ mathematical modeling skills. The study was conducted using a quasi-experimental method, with two experimental and control groups. The sample included 64 Grade 8 students in one of the cities of Alborz province during the 2022-2023 academic year. The students were divided into two homogenious classes of 32, based on their first mathematics exam scores as pre-test. The research conducted at the end of school year and after the curriculum was covered fully. The experimental group participated in five sessions using open-ended problems that required mathematical modeling skills. The control group received five sessions of solving routine mathematics problems. The data collected at the post-test via a mathematical modeling problem. Students’ solutions were evaluated based on Blum’s (2011) modified modeling cycle. The results showed that students who worked on open-ended problems that required modelling skills, performed better and employed more creative strategies in solving the post-test mathematics problem. Thus the research concludes that open-ended problems could contribute to enhancing the Grade 8 students’ mathematical problem-solving and their modeling skills.