Main findings of a previous study are confirmed in that the matrix mode of representation, as actually used by Ss, again leads to significantly better performance on all problems except those where information was presented in terms of negative statements. (Authors)

Variation in syntactic difficulty in arithmetic problems is studied to determine its influence on students' ability to solve problems correctly. Findings in a study of elementary school students indicated syntactic difficulty affects problem solving ability, regardless of sex (f=fiche number). (MH)

The effect on performance of different formats for typical mathematics story problems was studied, along with the relationship of certain learner variables. More than 1200 children in grades 3-8, including over 220 learning-disabled students, were tested and/or interviewed. Story problems were in the usual format found in textbooks, an abbreviated…

Offers examples of non-standard mathematical application problems. The applications come from a variety of areas including industry and other cultures. (PK)