THE UNDERSTANDING OF RELATIONAL TERMS IN COMPARE‑COMBINE WORD PROBLEMS ON DIFFERENT LEVELS OF EDUCATION

Abstract

Routine word problems are thoroughly described and categorized to combine, change, and compare problems. This paper investigates how 2nd, 4th, and 6th-grade students solve integrated combine and compare problems. We used the integrated combine and compare problems with consistent language (CL) formulation, inconsistent language (IL) formulation, or more complex structure. Our research sample consists of 44 students in 2nd grade, 48 students in 4th grade, and 42 students in 6th grade from schools in Belgrade. The results show that stu- dents are more successful in solving problems with CL than with IL formulation at all levels of education. Students from the 2nd, 4th, and 6th grade are equally successful in solving the CL problem. The surprising result is the nonexistence of a significant difference in the achieve- ment of students in 4th and 6th grade on the IL problem, which could indicate an obstacle in the development of relational term understanding after introducing algebra into mathematical education. Low achievement on the problem with more complex structure showed that students have issues with the modeling process and that they are not eager to use algebraic strategies or graphical representations. These results imply a need for a systematic approach to teaching routine problems after introducing algebra in mathematics education.