Description of Palestinian Mathematical Olympiad Problems and Analysis of Them According to Mathematical Problem Solving Strategies

This study aimed to identify the types of mathematical problems which appeared in the Palestinian Mathematics Olympiad for the scientific eleventh (first secondary) grade in the following years: 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2006, 2012, 2014, as well as to know there resolution and to analysis them according to mathematical problem solving strategies: The descriptive analytical approach have been used in this study, so that the researcher have solved and analyzed the Palestinian Mathematics Olympiad questions for the years mentioned above and the strategy contained in each question have been developed. The researcher have jobbed interviews with a number of experts who have long experience in overseeing the Palestinian Mathematics Olympiad, putting questions, in order to know how they choose the questions and the compatibility of the questions with the Palestinian curriculum. Also, to know the extent to which the types of strategies used to resolve questions are taken into account. The results showed that the Palestinian Mathematics Olympiad questions objectives concentrated on Algebra and Geometry by (39%) and (29%) for each respectively. The most used strategies used in solving the Palestinian Mathematics Olympiad questions were induction strategy (38%) and Compensation law and the solution strategy (29%) for each respectively. Based on these results, the study recommended to make and pay attention for: • Training students to a variety of strategies to solve mathematical issue • Organizing a training workshops for teachers that mimic the questions Palestinian Mathematics Olympiad and strategies resolve: • Questions should be put and be developed by specialized committee to have available sufficient time to review the topics touched upon issues and strategies needed to solve and review the linguistic formulation