The role of the situation model in mathematical modelling: Task analyses, student cempetencies, and teacher interventions

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Authors

  • Dominik Leiss
  • Stanislaw Schukajlow
  • Werner Blum
  • Rudolf Messner
  • Reinhard Pekrun
In a study within the DISUM research project, we investigated the role that the construction of situation models plays as an essential prerequisite for understanding a given mathematical modelling task, using a sample of 21 9th grade classes (N=416). Specific task characteristics, general mathematical competence, reading competence, and teacher interventions aiming at understanding the situation model were analyzed as crucial factors influencing students’ ability to solve modelling tasks. The results show that: (1) strategies for constructing an adequate situation model have a significant influence on modelling competence, (2) mathematical reading competence and intra-mathematical competence can explain almost one third of the variance of the performance on the modelling test, (3) teacher interventions may encourage students to adopt strategies facilitating the construction of situation models, but an increase of modelling competence requires separate strategy training.
Translated title of the contributionZur Rolle des Situationsmodells beim mathematischen Modellieren : Aufgabenanalysen, Schülerkompetenzen und Lehrerinterventionen
Original languageEnglish
JournalJournal für Mathematik-Didaktik
Volume31
Issue number1
Pages (from-to)119-141
Number of pages23
ISSN0173-5322
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2010