Assessments of (n=16) year 9 and 10 advanced mathematics students while they solved mathematics problems indicated that the nature of the problem was a basic factor in determining the type of solution strategy used. Strategies were broadly classified into Ikonic or Concrete Symbolic categories. (31 references) (MKR)

Two phenomena related to the quality of student responses in regard to items used in a testing situation are involved in the construction of a pupil response model. The underlying phenomenon which defines the individual's cognitive limits is termed the hypothetical cognitive structure (HCS). The second phenomenon, which is a function of not only…