Different complex word problems require different combinations of cognitive skills
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In: Educational Studies in Mathematics, Vol. 109, No. 1, 01.01.2022, p. 89-114.
Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review
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TY - JOUR
T1 - Different complex word problems require different combinations of cognitive skills
AU - Strohmaier, Anselm R.
AU - Reinhold, Frank
AU - Hofer, Sarah
AU - Berkowitz, Michal
AU - Vogel-Heuser, Birgit
AU - Reiss, Kristina
N1 - Funding: Leuphana Universität Lüneburg
PY - 2022/1/1
Y1 - 2022/1/1
N2 - Mathematical word problem solving is influenced by various characteristics of the task and the person solving it. Yet, previous research has rarely related these characteristics to holistically answer which word problem requires which set of individual cognitive skills. In the present study, we conducted a secondary data analysis on a dataset of N = 1282 undergraduate students solving six mathematical word problems from the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA). Previous results had indicated substantial variability in the contribution of individual cognitive skills to the correct solution of the different tasks. Here, we exploratively reanalyzed the data to investigate which task characteristics may account for this variability, considering verbal, arithmetic, spatial, and general reasoning skills simultaneously. Results indicate that verbal skills were the most consistent predictor of successful word problem solving in these tasks, arithmetic skills only predicted the correct solution of word problems containing calculations, spatial skills predicted solution rates in the presence of a visual representation, and general reasoning skills were more relevant in simpler problems that could be easily solved using heuristics. We discuss possible implications, emphasizing how word problems may differ with regard to the cognitive skills required to solve them correctly.
AB - Mathematical word problem solving is influenced by various characteristics of the task and the person solving it. Yet, previous research has rarely related these characteristics to holistically answer which word problem requires which set of individual cognitive skills. In the present study, we conducted a secondary data analysis on a dataset of N = 1282 undergraduate students solving six mathematical word problems from the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA). Previous results had indicated substantial variability in the contribution of individual cognitive skills to the correct solution of the different tasks. Here, we exploratively reanalyzed the data to investigate which task characteristics may account for this variability, considering verbal, arithmetic, spatial, and general reasoning skills simultaneously. Results indicate that verbal skills were the most consistent predictor of successful word problem solving in these tasks, arithmetic skills only predicted the correct solution of word problems containing calculations, spatial skills predicted solution rates in the presence of a visual representation, and general reasoning skills were more relevant in simpler problems that could be easily solved using heuristics. We discuss possible implications, emphasizing how word problems may differ with regard to the cognitive skills required to solve them correctly.
KW - Arithmetic skills
KW - General reasoning skills
KW - Spatial skills
KW - Verbal skills
KW - Word problems
KW - Educational science
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85109313452&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - https://www.mendeley.com/catalogue/1c0cb729-ac73-3dd6-a558-12e775715629/
U2 - 10.1007/s10649-021-10079-4
DO - 10.1007/s10649-021-10079-4
M3 - Journal articles
AN - SCOPUS:85109313452
VL - 109
SP - 89
EP - 114
JO - Educational Studies in Mathematics
JF - Educational Studies in Mathematics
SN - 0013-1954
IS - 1
ER -