The Use of Representations when Solving Algebra Word Problems and the Sources of Solution Errors

Abstract

In this article, we examine how 10th graders make use of different intertwined representations when solving algebraic word problems. It is structured in a quantitative phase, with 61 students and a subsequent follow-up case study with nine pairs of students. We found that drawings and tables, used as auxiliary representations within variants of the algebraic solving method, were useful in the construction of situation and/or problem models. However, this did not entail a higher rate of correct solutions, because students made errors in the subsequent conversion to equations due to misconceptions about the notion of equation. Teaching implications are discussed.