• Journal of Elementary Mathematics Education in Korea
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.161-181
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• 2018

This study involved an investigation of prospective elementary teachers' preconceptions and experiences of diagrams and their ability to draw diagrams in solving math word problems. A questionnaire and two math word problems were administered to prospective elementary teachers who began to taking an introductory mathematics education course. The results from the analysis of their responses to the questionnaire items indicate that prospective elementary teachers appreciate the value of diagrams as tools for problem solving and communication. In addition, prospective elementary teachers have the will not only to teach their future students how to use diagrams but also to encourage them to draw diagrams in solving math word problems. However, the results also indicates that prospective elementary teachers neither use diagrams spontaneously in their math problem solving activities nor have confidence in drawing useful diagrams. Prospective elementary teachers also manifested low scores on the questionnaire items asking whether they were taught how to draw useful diagrams or encouraged by their teachers to use diagrams in their previous learning experiences. The results from the analysis of the diagrams that prospective elementary teachers drew in solving math word problems showed that most of them had difficulty drawing diagrams that represent their reasoning and solving process.

• Korean Journal of Childcare and Education
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• v.13 no.6
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• pp.69-86
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• 2017

Objective: This study was conducted to investigate the effects of small-group arithmetic word problem activities with concrete materials on 5 year old children's mathematical ability and attitude. Methods: A total of 34 five-year-old children (control group 16 children, experimental group18 children) attending two kindergartens in P city participated in this study. Fifteen small-group arithmetic word problem activities with concrete materials were conducted in the classroom of the experimental group twice a week for eight weeks. Before and after the activities, all the participants individually took a basic arithmetic test, mathematical word problem solving test, and mathematical attitudes test. Results: First, we observed that the children in the experimental group achieved significantly higher scores on the mathematical ability tests, including the basic arithmetic test and mathematical word problems solving test when compared to the children in the control group. Second, we also found that children in the experimental group showed higher improvement in the mathematical attitudes test than their counterparts. Conclusion/Implications: The results of this study suggest that small-group arithmetic word problem activities with concrete materials are effective in improving children's mathematical ability and attitudes.

• The KIPS Transactions:PartB
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• v.14B no.1 s.111
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• pp.43-50
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• 2007

This study proposes design of courseware based on scaffolding for teaching math word problem solving of students with intellectual disabilities. This courseware not only offer various technological supports to solving difficult problems of students with intellectual disabilities but also systematically withdraw that supports. Compared with previous related softwares, this courseware has potential that can adapt math strategies to meet different needs of individuals with intellectual disabilities, increase independent learning ability of learners and maintain high level of motive through successful problem solving experience.

• Communications of Mathematical Education
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• v.37 no.4
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• pp.569-590
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• 2023

The purpose of this case study is to compare and analyze the covariational reasoning levels of two middle school students revealed in the process of solving and generalizing algebra word problems. A class was conducted with two middle school students who had not learned quadratic equations in school mathematics. During the retrospective analysis after the class was over, a noticeable difference between the two students was revealed in solving algebra word problems, including situations where speed changes. Accordingly, this study compared and analyzed the level of covariational reasoning revealed in the process of solving or generalizing algebra word problems including situations where speed is constant or changing, based on the theoretical framework proposed by Thompson & Carlson(2017). As a result, this study confirmed that students' covariational reasoning levels may be different even if the problem-solving methods and results of algebra word problems are similar, and the similarity of problem-solving revealed in the process of solving and generalizing algebra word problems was analyzed from a covariation perspective. This study suggests that in the teaching and learning algebra word problems, rather than focusing on finding solutions by quickly converting problem situations into equations, activities of finding changing quantities and representing the relationships between them in various ways.

• Research in Mathematical Education
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• v.11 no.4
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• pp.247-263
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• 2007

Problem solving takes place not only in mathematics classes but also in real-world. For this reason, a problem and the structure of problem solving, and the enhancing of success in problem solving is a subject which has been studied by any educators. In this direction, the aim of this study is that the strategy used by students in Turkey when solving oral problems and their achievements of choosing operations when solving oral problems has been researched. In the research, the students have been asked three types of questions made up groups of 5. In the first category, S-problems (standard problems not requiring to determine any strategy but can be easily solved with only the applications of arithmetical operations), in the second category, AS-SA problems (problems that can be solved with the key word of additive operation despite to its being a subtractive operation, and containing the key word of subtractive operation despite to its being an additive operation), and in the third category P-problems (problematic problem) take place. It is seen that students did not have so much difficulty in S-problems, mistakes were made in determining operations for problem solving because of memorizing certain essential concepts, and the succession rate of students is very low in P-problems. The reasons of these mistakes as a summary are given below: $\cdot$ Because of memorizing some certain key concepts about operations mistakes have been done in choosing operations. $\cdot$ Not giving place to problems which has no solution and with incomplete information in mathematics. $\cdot$ Thinking of students that every problem has a solution since they don't encounter every type of problems in mathematics classes and course books.

• Communications of Mathematical Education
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.159-175
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• 2010

In this paper we make a new problem solving model using the principle of the lever. Using the model we solved many word problems related with consistency. We suggest new problem solving method using the lever model and describe some characteristics of the method.

• Journal of Educational Research in Mathematics
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.267-281
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• 2004

Many students feel the word problems are very difficult. This study analyzes the linguistic and cognitive factors that affect word problem solving so that we help students bring through the difficulty. There are a text base, a situation model, and a real world in the linguistic aspects. Students have a difficulty at the transition from text base to situation model(equation), and make lots of errors at the situation model. In the cognitive aspects, I investigated problem solving schemes, strategies, and complexity level. Students are likely to choose strategy by the contents which teacher instructed, but not by low complexity level, and mix up the amount of sugar and sugar water, and concentration. We can recognize how complex the types of word problems are to solve, which strategies students choose largely, and what errors that students make in the problem solving are.

• Education of Primary School Mathematics
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.127-142
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• 2016

The purpose of this study was to examine the students' problem solving ability according to numeric expression and the semantic types of addition and subtraction word problems. For this, a research was to analyze the addition and subtraction calculation ability, word problem solving ability of the selected $2^{nd}$ grade(118) and 3rd grade(109) students. We got the conclusion as follows: When the students took the survey to assess their ability to solve the numerical expression and the word problems, the correct answer rates of the result unknown problems was larger than those of the change unknown problems or the start unknown problems. the correct answer rates of the change add-into situation was larger than those of the part-part-whole situation in the result unknown addition word problems: they often presented in text books. And, in the cases of the result unknown subtraction word problems that often presented in text books, the correct answer rates of the change take-away situation was the largest. It seemed probably because the students frequently experienced similar situations in the textbooks. We know that the formal calculation ability of the students was a precondition for successful word problem solving, but that it was not a sufficient condition for that.

• Journal of Elementary Mathematics Education in Korea
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.501-525
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• 2015

This study analyzes arithmetic word problem of multiplication and division in the mathematics textbooks and workbooks of 3rd grade in elementary school according to 2009 revised curriculum. And we analyzes type of the problem solving ability which 4th graders prefer in the course of arithmetic word problem solving and the problem solving ability as per the type in order to seek efficient teaching methods on arithmetic word problem solving of students. First, in the mathematics textbook and workbook of 3rd grade, arithmetic word problem of multiplication and division suggested various things such as thought opening, activities, finish, and let's check. As per the semantic element, multiplication was classified into 5 types of cumulated addition of same number, rate, comparison, arrayal and combination while division was classified into 2 types of division into equal parts and division by equal part. According to result of analysis, the type of cumulated addition of same number was the most one for multiplication while 2 types of division into equal parts and division by equal part were evenly spread in division. Second, according to 1st test result of arithmetic word problem solving ability in the element of arithmetic operation meaning, 4th grade showed type of cumulated addition of same number as the highest correct answer ratio for multiplication. As for division, 4th grade showed 90% correct answer ratio in 4 questionnaires out of 5 questionnaires. And 2nd test showed arithmetic word problem solving ability in the element of arithmetic operation construction, as for multiplication and division, correct answer ratio was higher in the case that 4th grade students did not know the result than the case they did not know changed amount or initial amount. This was because the case of asking the result was suggested in the mathematics textbook and workbook and therefore, it was difficult for students to understand such questions as changed amount or initial amount which they did not see frequently. Therefore, it is required for students to experience more varied types of problems so that they can more easily recognize problems seen from a textbook and then, improve their understanding of problems and problem solving ability.

• Education of Primary School Mathematics
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.83-97
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• 2023

Nominalization is one of the grammatical metaphors that makes it easier to mathematize the target that needs to be converted into a formula, but it has the disadvantage of making problem understanding difficult due to complex and compressed sentence structures. To investigate how this nominalization affects students' problem-solving processes, an analysis was conducted on 233 third-grade elementary school students' problem solving of eight arithmetic word problems with or without nominalization. The analysis showed that the presence or absence of nominalization did not have a significant impact on their problem understanding and their ability to convert sentences to formulas. Although the students did not have any prior experience in nominalization, they restructured the sentences by using nominalization or agnation in the problem understanding stage. When the types of nominalization change, the rate of setting the formula correctly appeared high. Through this, the use of nominalization can be a pedagogical strategy for solving word problems and can be expected to help facilitate deeper understanding.