scholarly journals Analyzing Difficulties in Arithmetic Word Problem Solving: An Epistemological Case Study in Primary School

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (10) ◽  
pp. 596
Author(s):  
Roberto Capone ◽  
Federica Filiberti ◽  
Alice Lemmo
Keyword(s):  
Problem Solving ◽  
Primary School ◽  
Word Problem ◽  
Word Problems ◽  
Text Comprehension ◽  
School Students ◽  
Word Problem Solving ◽  
Grade 5 ◽  
Mathematical Word Problems ◽  
Backward Analysis

This paper focuses on difficulties that primary school students have in facing mathematical word problems. In particular, we are interested in exploring how they develop in the transition from grade 2 to grade 5. The research basis of the hypothesis is that some difficulties detected in grade 5 are already predictable in grade 2. Starting from the data collected in grade 5 by the National Standardized Assessment, we carry out a quantitative analysis looking for word problems in which students experience difficulties. Subsequently, we conduct a backward analysis of the grade 2 test of the same cohort of students in order to identify a set of word problems linked with those selected in grade 5 test. The analysis shows the presence of many common difficulties in the two grades. We design and carry out specific educational activities concerning word problem-solving in grade 2. These activities produce positive changes in the experimental class compared to the control class. This could suggest that a previous intervention in grade 2 could allow overcoming future difficulties in word problem text comprehension in grade 5.

Teaching Middle School Students with Learning Disabilities to Solve Word Problems Using a Schema-Based Approach

1999 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
pp. 50-64 ◽  
Author(s):  
Asha K. Jitendra ◽  
Kathryn Hoff ◽  
Michelle M. Beck
Keyword(s):  
Learning Disabilities ◽  
Problem Solving ◽  
Word Problem ◽  
Word Problems ◽  
Multiple Baseline ◽  
Students With Learning Disabilities ◽  
School Students ◽  
Word Problem Solving ◽  
Baseline Design

The present study investigated the effectiveness of a schema strategy on the mathematical word-problem-solving performance of 4 sixth- and seventh-grade students (2 girls, 2 boys) with learning disabilities. A multiple-baseline design across students and across two behaviors was used. Results indicated that the schema strategy led to an increase in word-problem-solving performance for all 4 students. Further, these results were maintained at a 2 and 4 weeks follow-up, and all 4 students' performance on two-step word problems (M = 86% correct) at the end of the study surpassed that of the normative sample (M = 54% correct). Student treatment acceptability ratings revealed that the strategy was helpful in solving word problems.

scholarly journals Influence of Task Characteristics on Eye-Movement Patterns Related to Numerical and Textual Information in Arithmetic Word Problems

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gabriella Daroczy ◽  
Christina Artemenko ◽  
Detmar Meurers ◽  
Magdalena Wolska ◽  
Hans-Christoph Nuerk
Keyword(s):  
Eye Movements ◽  
Problem Solving ◽  
Eye Movement ◽  
Word Problem ◽  
Word Problems ◽  
Text Comprehension ◽  
Movement Patterns ◽  
Task Characteristics ◽  
Arithmetic Task ◽  
Word Problem Solving

Both linguistic and arithmetic task characteristics contribute to the difficulty of a word problem. However, the role of these characteristics and the exact cognitive processes underlying arithmetic word problems are often not clear, but they might be detectable by analysing eye-movement patterns. Not much is known about how eye-movements change under different linguistic and arithmetic task characteristics in regard to the whole problem as well as to specific parts of it (numerical and textual elements). This study examined the effects of linguistic and arithmetic task characteristics on the word problem-solving ability of children aged 10-13 years while their eye-movements were monitored. We manipulated the task characteristics independently of each other, using the mathematical factor operation (addition/subtraction) and the linguistic factors consistency (consistent/inconsistent) and nominalization (verbalized/nominalized). The results showed that eye-movements generally increase with increasing linguistic (i.e., nominalization) or arithmetic (i.e., operation) difficulty. However, specific parts of the text were differentially affected based on task characteristics: In general, increasing arithmetic difficulty shifts eye-movements towards numerical elements and increasing linguistic difficulty shifts eye-movements towards textual elements. However, the increase of difficulty in the arithmetic domain can also affect processing in the linguistic domain. For instance, as textual parts of the word problem were more frequently attended to when arithmetic difficulty increased but not vice versa. This indicates that in the process of word problem-solving, text comprehension and calculation are not sequential independent processes, but partially rely on the same processing components, such as working memory resources.

Intensive Word Problem Solving for Students With Learning Disabilities in Mathematics

2021 ◽  
pp. 105345122110475
Author(s):  
Bradley Witzel ◽  
Jonté A. Myers ◽  
Yan Ping Xin
Keyword(s):  
Learning Disabilities ◽  
Problem Solving ◽  
Word Problem ◽  
Word Problems ◽  
Mathematics Performance ◽  
Students With Learning Disabilities ◽  
Word Problem Solving ◽  
Model Based ◽  
Students With Ld

State exams frequently use word problems to measure mathematics performance making difficulties with word problem solving a barrier for many students with learning disabilities (LD) in mathematics. Based on meta-analytic data from students with LD, five empirically validated word-problem strategies are presented with components of model-based problem solving (MBPS) highlighted.

scholarly journals Teachers’ pedagogical content knowledge in teaching word problem solving strategies

ZDM ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 52 (1) ◽  
pp. 165-178 ◽  
Author(s):  
Csaba Csíkos ◽  
Judit Szitányi
Keyword(s):  
Problem Solving ◽  
Pedagogical Content Knowledge ◽  
Content Knowledge ◽  
Word Problem ◽  
Word Problems ◽  
Teaching Practice ◽  
Word Problem Solving ◽  
Pedagogical Content ◽  
Explicit Teaching ◽  
Problem Solving Strategies

AbstractThis research addressed Hungarian pre-service and in-service (both elementary and lower secondary) teachers’ pedagogical content knowledge concerning the teaching of word problem solving strategies. By means of a standardized interview protocol, participants (N = 30) were asked about their judgement on the difficulty of teaching word problems, the factors they find difficult, and their current teaching practice. Furthermore, based on a comparative analysis of Eastern European textbooks, we tested how teachers’ current beliefs and views relate to the word problem solving algorithm described in elementary textbooks. The results suggest that in the teachers’ opinion, explicit teaching of a step-by-step algorithm is feasible and desirable as early as in the 1st school grade. According to our results, two approaches (namely, paradigmatic- and narrative-oriented) concerning how to teach the process of word problems solving, originally revealed by Chapman, were found. Furthermore, teachers in general agreed with the approach taken in the textbooks on the subject of what kinds of word problems should be used, and that explicit teaching of word problem solving strategies should be introduced by using simple, routine word problems as examples.

scholarly journals Is Word-Problem Solving a Form of Text Comprehension?

2015 ◽  
Vol 19 (3) ◽  
pp. 204-223 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lynn S. Fuchs ◽  
Douglas Fuchs ◽  
Donald L. Compton ◽  
Carol L. Hamlett ◽  
Amber Y. Wang
Keyword(s):  
Problem Solving ◽  
Word Problem ◽  
Text Comprehension ◽  
Word Problem Solving

scholarly journals Preservice mathematics teachers’ ways of using problem solving strategies while solving mathematical word problems

2015 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 1180 ◽  
Author(s):  
Neslihan Bulut ◽  
Gözdegül Karamık
Keyword(s):  
Middle School ◽  
Preservice Teachers ◽  
Problem Solving ◽  
Mathematics Teachers ◽  
Word Problems ◽  
Spring Semester ◽  
School Students ◽  
Problem Solving Strategies ◽  
Preservice Mathematics Teachers ◽  
Mathematical Word Problems

<p>The aim of this study is to investigate the variety of problem solving strategies used by preservice mathematics teachers while solving different mathematical word problems which require representation standards and to identify which strategy is functional for pre-service teachers to apply with middle-school students.</p><p>The study was a case study and conducted during the 2009 spring semester. For this study, 150 senior class pre-service teachers of elementary mathematics education were chosen from a public university in Turkey by convenient sampling. Data were collected through an open-ended test developed by researchers. The test was consist of ten mathematical word problems selected from the five sub-learning areas. The test was given to the pre-service teachers and they were asked to solve each problem in different ways. It took 60 minutes for preservice teachers to complete the test. Strategies that pre-service teachers used for solving word problems were categorized by using content analyze. Also interviews were conducted with pre-service teachers in order to identify their opinions about the usability of strategies in middle-school classrooms.</p><p>Findings revealed that participants are lack of using different strategies while solving word problems. In general the participants did not apply more than one strategy and they used traditional solving strategies instead of extreme ones. Findings of this study will be a guiding spirit to teacher educators for the enhancement of preservice teacher education programs.</p>

scholarly journals Analysing Mathematical Word Problem Solving with Secondary Education CLIL Students: A Pilot Study

2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 18-45
Author(s):  
Rafael Cabezuelo Vivo ◽  
Víctor Pavón
Keyword(s):  
Reading Comprehension ◽  
Secondary Education ◽  
Problem Solving ◽  
Word Problem ◽  
Language Proficiency ◽  
Word Problems ◽  
International Student ◽  
Student Assessment ◽  
Word Problem Solving ◽  
International Student Assessment

The purpose of this study is to investigate to what extent the use of L2 in math tests influences bilingual education learners’ process of word problem solving in a mandatory secondary education school with Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL). The reading comprehension level of the students was analysed using a standards-based assessment and the questions used in Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) tests. The word problems were selected according to the students’ level of reading-comprehension and mathematical competence. Leaners also had to answer a questionnaire, which was used to analyse if contextual factors were affecting mathematical performance in L2. To this end, the questionnaire included some questions related to the bilingual history of the students and their perception about solving word problems in English. Data were analysed through one-way or two-way ANOVA tests to find out which factors were relevant. Results show that solving word problems is not only affected by the use of L2, but that it also depends on the mathematical difficulty, irrespective of the students’ level of language proficiency. The findings, hence, imply that interaction between linguistic difficulty and mathematical complexity is at the centre of the issues affecting word problem solving.

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