Unraveling Student Challenges in Problem-Solving: A Systematic Literature Review Based on Polya’s Framework

Abstract

This research explores the challenges that students face in solving mathematical problems based on the Polya framework through a systematic literature review. The aim of this research is to identify factors that hinder students at each stage of the Polya framework: understanding the problem, planning a solution, implementing the plan, and looking back. The method used involved the analysis of 48 studies that focused on solving mathematical problems. The research results show that at the stage of understanding the problem, the main challenges include motivation, concentration, reading literacy, mathematical communication, understanding concepts, and reasoning. At the planning completion stage, the main obstacles are cognitive holes, misconceptions, connection of mathematical concepts, mathematical modeling, and organization. At the stage of implementing the plan, difficulties include understanding algorithms, calculation procedures, and accuracy. Finally, at the looking-back stage, the influencing factors are motivation, evaluation, interpretation of results, and accuracy. The conclusions of this research provide important insights for educators in designing more effective teaching strategies to improve students' problem-solving abilities.