Middle School Students' Perceptions, Persistence, and Performance in Mathematical Problem Solving

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to explore middle school students' ( N = 54) perceptions of problem difficulty, persistence, and knowledge and use of problem-solving strategies in solving mathematical word problems. Students identified as learning disabled, average achieving, or gifted were tested individually as they solved six word problems classified as 1-, 2-, or 3-step problems. After the examiner read each problem, the student rated the problem's difficulty on a 1-to-6 scale ( very easy to very hard) and then solved the problem. Results indicated that students with learning disabilities rated problems as significantly more difficult and had a significantly lower total word problem score than both average and gifted students. In comparison, average students rated problems as significantly more difficult than gifted students but did not differ significantly on total word problem score. There was no significant difference between students with learning disabilities and average achievers in the length of time they spent solving problems, but both groups took significantly longer than the gifted students. Students with learning disabilities used significantly fewer problem-solving strategies on the two- and three-step problems than both the average and the gifted students, who did not differ. Findings suggest that although students with learning disabilities perceive problems as more difficult than do their more successful peers, they do not spend more time solving problems. Even with greater persistence, however, they would still be at a serious disadvantage compared with better problem solvers because they seem to lack important problem-solving strategies for effective and efficient mathematical problem solving.