An alternative in mathematical problem solving

This chapter is the result of the work of the researchers of a quasi-experiment whose objective was the application of George Polya's Methodology in the improvement of academic performance, the development of comprehension and metacognition. Therefore, the researchers propose the use of the implementation of Polya's methodology as an alternative to solve mathematical problems so that students develop their capacity for logical thinking by making use of metacognitive processes. To measure the impact of this implementation, a quasi-experiment was designed, with two groups, control and experimental, of the two district educational institutions of Colombia, with the purpose that the students improve their understanding of mathematics and can obtain better results in their academic performance and in the institutional tests. The research showed that the phases of Polya's methodology help to stimulate reading comprehension, motivate students to solve contextualized problems and encourage teachers to use didactic techniques other than the operationalization of mathematics.