This study reports a secondary analysis from a randomized control trial study conducted with third graders with mathematics difficulty (MD; N = 75). We used simple linear regression to investigate whether students' performance on a word-problem vocabulary assessment predicted their performance on a measure of word-problem solving. Additionally, we…

Much attention has been paid to computational thinking (CT) as a problem-solving approach across various curricula, particularly in mathematics. Most studies solely used a digital instrument or examined transfer of program solving ability, neglecting the mathematics knowledge domain or how the novel digital instrument functions alongside the…

Mathematical writing in school is difficult to teach. Reasons include that it is a domain in which there are rules for some parts of the writing like for example mathematical notation while others must be negotiated locally in the classroom. Writing is also seldom separated from the process of solving mathematical problems, creating a situation…

In this article the authors describe how standard textbook questions can be turned into open questions to promote problem solving and reasoning. Six example solutions are given to one problem showing how an open problem can cater to the diversity of students in your class.

Procedural flexibility is an important skill for algebra. Although prior work has focused on measuring students' procedural flexibility using arithmetic problems, word problems may also capture students' flexibility because of their open-ended nature. To date, no published study has examined the use of word problems as another measure of…

Connecting mathematical concepts to real-life situations is a crucial skill in math class. Using mathematical literacy problems in classes may be an option to make connections with real life. In this context, the aim of this research is to reveal the experiences of preservice mathematics teachers in the process of writing mathematical literacy…

Mathematical word problem-solving skills are crucial for students across their lives, yet solving such tasks poses challenges for many. Therefore, understanding the characteristics of mathematical word problems that are associated with students' performance is important. The objective of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to evaluate the…

This study aims to evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of using effective sentences in writing story problems related to integer arithmetic operations. The research methodology used is descriptive analysis with a qualitative approach, and case study design to explore in depth a phenomenon or problem. Data were collected through a documentary…

Solving math word problems (MWPs) involves uncovering logical relationships among quantities in natural language descriptions of math problems. Recent studies have demonstrated that the contrastive learning framework can assist models in identifying semantically similar examples while distinguishing between different mathematical logics. This…

Word problems are frequently taught in shallow contexts, where students primarily use procedural knowledge to solve problems and struggle to transfer their learning to real-life situations. This study examines how extra-mathematical knowledge and motivation may enhance the learning process. The study involved 345 fifth-grade students (51.2% male)…

Solving a math word problem (MWP) requires understanding the mathematical components of the problem and an ability to decode the text. For some students, lower reading comprehension skills may make engagement with the mathematical content more difficult. Readability formulas (e.g., Flesch Reading Ease) are frequently used to assess reading…

Learners in general struggle when working with word problems. South African learners in particular have an added barrier owing to the many official languages that have been legislated. The South African Department of Basic Education, through its curriculum statements, envisages that problem solving will play a fundamental part in mathematics…

This study was conducted while 9th grade students learn to solve inequalities and seeks to understand their approach to solving problems with a real-life context. Specifically, the aim is to understand: (1) What are the main characteristics of the students' approaches to the proposed problems? (2) What is the impact of the real context on the…

The development of proportional reasoning is crucial for higher-level mathematical skills. Various studies have demonstrated that the numerical structures of problems have an impact on the strategies used to solve direct proportional problems. This research was conducted to determine eighth grade students' strategies for solving inverse…

In this article, the authors introduce and illustrate a new activity that involves "follow-up equations," which are equations that follow up on ideas children have already expressed when solving fraction story problems. Specifically, teachers pose story problems and purposely attend to fraction ideas that arise in children's strategies…