Abstract
This paper focuses on difficulties that primary school students have in facing mathematical word problems. In particular, we are interested in exploring how they develop in the transition from grade 2 to grade 5. The research basis of the hypothesis is that some difficulties detected in grade 5 are already predictable in grade 2. Starting from the data collected in grade 5 by the National Standardized Assessment, we carry out a quantitative analysis looking for word problems in which students experience difficulties. Subsequently, we conduct a backward analysis of the grade 2 test of the same cohort of students in order to identify a set of word problems linked with those selected in grade 5 test. The analysis shows the presence of many common difficulties in the two grades. We design and carry out specific educational activities concerning word problem-solving in grade 2. These activities produce positive changes in the experimental class compared to the control class. This could suggest that a previous intervention in grade 2 could allow overcoming future difficulties in word problem text comprehension in grade 5.
Highlights
The problem-solving process is one of the key elements in the design of mathematics teaching/learning activities in all countries [1,2]
Both ideographic and nomothetic analyses were carried out: the purpose was to analyze difficulties that primary school students have in word problems at the national level from a quantitative point of view and analyze the individual protocols
For the early detection of difficulties, we were inspired by the chain of questions of the INVALSI tests of mathematics [13] of the problem-solving dimension
Summary
The problem-solving process is one of the key elements in the design of mathematics teaching/learning activities in all countries [1,2]. According to Schoenfeld [3], solving problems means finding a way out of a difficulty or a goal that is not immediately achievable. Our attention focuses on difficulties that grade 5 students experience and how they are predictable, and if it is possible, early intervention in the first primary grades. In this contribution, we propose a quantitative analysis in order to provide material for a reflection on the information that the data collected from the national standardized assessment tests provide. Our aim is to assess whether the data collected allow early identification of difficulties in solving word problems in grade 5 and whether it is possible to structure specific actions in grade 2 in order to prevent them
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