The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of a mathematics intervention that utilized the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) framework on mathematical problem solving skills for three middle school students with extensive support needs (ESN). Participants were taught to solve percent of change word problems related to personal finance…

Singaporean children are the best performers on international achievement tests in mathematics (i.e. the TIMSS). Their excellent results could be due at least partly to certain characteristics of the textbooks used there (Oates 2014). Therefore, these materials could be taken as a good benchmark to describe and evaluate aspects of the textbooks of…

In this study we investigated word-problem (WP) item characteristics, individual differences in text comprehension and arithmetic skills, and their relations to mathematical WP-solving. The participants were 891 fourth-grade students from elementary schools in Finland. Analyses were conducted in two phases. In the first phase, WP characteristics…

This paper presents the second phase of a larger research program with the purpose of exploring the possible consequences of a gap between what is done in the classroom regarding mathematical word problem solving and what research shows to be effective in this particular field of study. Data from the first phase of our study on teachers'…

This article presents a study of the skills of Libyan and Turkish students in their quadratic word problems based on SOLO Taxonomy. The research model used in this study is a case study. The participants were 27 students at a high school in Kastamonu, Turkey and were 27 students at a high school in the city of Tripoli, Libya. The data were…

The focus of this article is the role of language comprehension within word-problem solving (WPS). The role of the language comprehension in WPS is explained, and an overview of research illustrating language comprehension's contribution to WPS is described. Next, an innovative intervention that embeds word problem (WP)-specific language…

We propose to assess conceptual knowledge of mathematical notions by having recourse to isomorphic word problems. We assumed that failing to solve isomorphic problems is an indicator of lack of conceptual knowledge. To reach these conclusions, two experiments were conducted among 4th and 5th grade students. In experiment 1, each student had to…

Pronouns encouraging a second-person perspective (e.g., "you/your") affect peoples' mental representations constructed while reading and improve learning. The present study applied these insights to a domain in that such pronoun effects have yet been unexplored: mathematical word problem solving. Specifically, we encouraged a…

The aim of this study is to investigate Danish pre-service teachers' (PSTs) mathematical and didactical knowledge of operations with rational numbers. This knowledge is studied through their collaborative activities to certain tasks related to the teaching of operations with rational numbers. An explicit model of the teachers' mathematical and…

The purpose of the study was to compare the deficit profiles of two important types of mathematics difficulties. Three cognitive measures (working memory, processing speed, and reasoning), two mathematics measures (numerical facts retrieval and mathematics vocabulary), and reading comprehension were assessed among 237 Chinese fourth-grade…

This article explores a conceptual relationship between learner choice and mathematical sense-making. It argues that when learners can exercise choice in their mathematical activities, mathematical sense-making can be enhanced. The literature around mathematical modelling suggests a link between sense-making and learner choice. A three-tiered…

This article describes two heuristic strategies for problem solving: the "use of false assumption" strategy and the "use of double false assumption" strategy. Both of these strategies have their roots deep in history. In this article, we define these two strategies and illustrate their use in a problem developed by Frances…

Mathematics assessments should allow all students opportunities to demonstrate their knowledge and skills as problem solvers. Looking at textbook word problems, the authors share a process for revising them using Universal Design for Learning (UDL). Outlined in detail here are problems for kindergarten, grades 5 and 7, and high school (algebra).

The present study aimed to analyse the context-based problem solutions of pre-service mathematics teachers, their mathematical sentences formation skills and misconceptions. Thus, the participating pre-service mathematics teachers were asked to solve context-based problems, form mathematical sentences formation, predict misconceptions that they…

The present study explored 285 11th-grade students' preconceptions, misconceptions, and errors in solving mathematics tasks by graphical method. A descriptive-explorative study design was adopted. Cluster sampling was used to select students from sampled secondary schools in eastern and central Uganda. Students' paper and pen solution sketches…