Abstract
We investigated the effect of two visual aids in representational illustrations on pupils’ realistic word problem solving. In part 1 of our study, 288 elementary school pupils received an individual paper-and-pencil task with seven problematic items (P-items) in which realistic considerations need to be made to come to an appropriate reaction. These items were presented together either with representational illustrations, representational illustrations in which an element was added to make the realistic modelling complexity more apparent, or representational illustrations in which this element was cued. In part 2, the pupils received the same P-items together with a realistic and a non-realistic answer option, with the request to choose the best answer. The findings show that there was no positive effect of the visual aids on the number of realistic reactions in part 1 and that when reviewing possible answers to P-items in part 2, there again was no positive effect.
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Acknowledgments
This research was funded by grant *** from the Research Fund ***. This research was partially supported by Grant GOA 2012/10 “Number sense: analysis and improvement” from the Research Fund KU Leuven, Belgium.
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Tinne Dewolf. Finalized her PhD in Educational Sciences at the KU Leuven, Belgium, in 2014, in the domain of realistic mathematical modelling and applied problem solving.
Current themes of research
Her major research interest is psychology of mathematics education, with special attention to realistic word problem solving and text and picture comprehension.
Most relevant publications in the field of Psychology of Education:
Dewolf, T., Van Dooren, W., & Verschaffel, L. (2011). Upper elementary school children’s understanding and solution of a quantitative word problem inside and outside the mathematics class. Learning and Instruction, 21, 770–780.
Dewolf, T., Van Dooren, W., Hermens, F., & Verschaffel, L. (2015). Do students attend to representational illustrations of non-standard mathematical word problems, and, if so, how helpful are they? Instructional Science, 43, 147–171.
Dewolf, T., Van Dooren, W., & Verschaffel, L. (2015). Mathematics word problems illustrated: An analysis of Flemish mathematics textbooks. Mediterranean Journal for Research in Mathematics Education, 14, 17–42.
Wim Van Dooren. He is an associate professor in educational sciences at the K.U. Leuven.
Current themes of research
His major re-search interest is psychology of mathematics education, with special attention to number sense and estimation, arithmetic word problem solving, proportional reasoning and rational number knowledge.
Most relevant publications in the field of Psychology of Education:
Lem, S., Onghena, P., Verschaffel, L., & Van Dooren, W. (2013). The heuristic interpretation of box plots. Learning and Instruction, 26, 22–35.
Obersteiner, A., Van Dooren, W., Van Hoof, J., & Verschaffel, L. (2013). The natural number bias and magnitude representation in fraction comparison by expert mathematicians. Learning and Instruction, 28, 64–72.
Vamvakoussi, X., Van Dooren, W., & Verschaffel, L. (2013). Educated adults are still affected by intuitive beliefs about the effect of arithmetical operations: Evidence from a reaction-time study. Educational Studies in Mathematics, 82, 323–330.
Van Hoof, J., Vandewalle, J., Verschaffel, L., & Van Dooren, W. (2015). In search for the natural number bias in secondary school students’ interpretation of the effect of arithmetical operations. Learning and Instruction, 37, 30–38.
Van Hoof, J., Verschaffel, L., & Van Dooren, W. (2015). Inappropriately applying natural number properties in rational number tasks: characterizing the development of the natural number bias through primary and secondary education. Educational Studies in Mathematics, 92(1), 2–8.
Lieven Verschaffel. He a full professor in educational sciences at the K.U. Leuven.
Current themes of research
His major research interest is psychology of mathematics education, with special attention to number sense and estimation, mental and written arithmetic, arithmetic word problem solving, and rational number knowledge
Most relevant publications in the field of Psychology of Education:
Verschaffel, L., Luwel, K., Torbeyns, J., & Van Dooren, W. (2009). Conceptualizing, investigating, and enhancing adaptive expertise in elementary mathematics education. European Journal of Psychology of Education, 24, 335–359.
Dewolf, T., Van Dooren, W., & Verschaffel, L. (2011). Upper elementary school children’s understanding and solution of a quantitative word problem inside and outside the mathematics class. Learning and Instruction, 21, 770–780.
Fernández, C., Llinares, S., Van Dooren, W., De Bock, D., Verschaffel, L. (2012). The development of students’ use of additive and proportional methods along primary and secondary school. European Journal of Psychology of Education, 27, 421–438.
Obersteiner, A., Van Dooren, W., Van Hoof, J., & Verschaffel, L. (2013). The natural number bias and magnitude representation in fraction comparison by expert mathematicians. Learning and Instruction, 28, 64–72.
Linsen, S., Verschaffel, L., Reynvoet, B., & De Smedt, B. (2015). The association between numerical magnitude processing and mental versus algorithmic multi-digit subtraction in children. Learning and Instruction, 35, 42–50.
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Dewolf, T., Van Dooren, W. & Verschaffel, L. Can visual aids in representational illustrations help pupils to solve mathematical word problems more realistically?. Eur J Psychol Educ 32, 335–351 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10212-016-0308-7
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10212-016-0308-7