Success in mathematics education, will lead to improvements in a positive way in many areas of society.Individuals who have mathematical thinking, love and interest mathematics, aware of their own learning and when necessary can develop appropriate learning strategies, no doubt, play an important role moving forward of the society.  

Certainly, it is possible with given training in this field in order to train individuals who approach to encountered problems in daily life with different and effective solution method. Problem solving method is the most effective way for developing these skills. Selected problems in math course must be interesting and related with students’ needs issues in daily life (MoNE, 2005). In this case, students’ mathematical knowledge and skills gained will be more meaningful and easier applications of this knowledge to different situations.

Students should use different problem solving strategies when they solve mathematical problems. The importance of understanding the problem, planning, controlling and using the different strategies should be provided.Students should gain success in the process of problem solving, when they feel self-confidences and when others appreciate their solutions (MoNE,2005).

As many education reform in the world, also in Turkey the changing of the mathematics program the importance attributed to problem solving teaching process has been increased. The success of such reforms depends on teachers’ who will conduct training programs adaptation and if they do not adopt, the effort will not expected to be successful.

De Mesquita ve Drake (1994) have shown that there is a direct relation between teachers’ perception of the innovation’s levels and reach to success of this innovation. The importance attributed, teachers’ who are a component of the teaching process problem solving and their conceptions belong to problem situated has become crucial because teachers can place necessary and sufficient amount of problem solving activities in their lessons, depend on  their competence about concept images’ on this field.

Consequently, the purpose of study is to investigate elementary mathematics pre-service teachers’ perception about mathematical problem and problem solving. For this purpose, this study was conducted to find the answer the following research problems.

1.           What is the understanding of elementary mathematics pre-service teachers’?

2.             What are the elementary mathematics pre-service teachers’ views related with problem solving and place of problem solving in mathematics education?

• De Mesquita, P. B., & Drake J. C. (1994). Educational reform and the self-efficacy beliefs of teachers implementing nongraded primary school programs. Teaching and Teacher Education, 10(3), 291–302. • MoNE (2005a). Ministry of National Education Elementary School Mathematics Curriculum: Grades 6 thru 8. Ankara: Devlet Kitapları Müdürlüğü. • Yıldızlar, M. (2001), İlköğretim Okulu Öğrencileri İçin Matematik Problemlerini Çözebilme Yöntemleri, Eylül Kitap ve Yayınevi, Ankara