The impact of metacognitive strategies and self-regulating processes of solving math word problems

Abstract

This empirical study investigates the impact of metacognitive strategies and self-regulating processes in learners' achievement on solving math word problems. It specifically analyzes the impact of the linguistic factor and the number of steps and arithmetical operations that learners need to apply during the process of solving math word problems. Two hundred sixty-three learners, of three classes of third graders (N=130) and four classes of fifth graders (N=133) of the elementary cycle from two urban schools of Kosovo, participated in the study. Almost half of the total number of the third and fifth-graders were exposed to metacognitive instruction. The rest of the learners were included in control classes in which they performed tasks without having been given any specific guidance, based exclusively on traditional methods and respective textbooks. All the learners were tested in math word problems twice, before the intervention and after it. Research findings have shown that metacognitive strategies and self-regulating processes that learners use to control their actions, to reason, and to reflect, are one of the main resources that influence their success in solving a math word problem. Although the difference between the pre-test and the post-test results was statistically significant solely with the fifth-grade experimental classes, yet an improved performance was observed in third-grade experimental learners' classes compared to control classes. Theoretical and practical implications of the research are discussed in the end of the study.

Six Levels of Indonesian Primary School Students’ Mental Model in Comprehending the Concept of Integer

“…This can obstruct students from internalizing the meaning of arithmetic operations and building relationships between concepts in mathematics (Kiziltoprak & Kose, 2017). Students tend to easily complete one arithmetic operation only (Vula, et al, 2017).…”

Early Mathematics Counts: Promising Instructional Strategies from Low- and Middle-Income Countries

“…In Kosovo (Vula et al, 2017), an intervention targeted 3rd and 5th grade students' problem-solving ability. Students were given meta-cognitive strategies (e.g., strategies to develop an awareness of their own problem solving process) and worked in small groups to collaboratively solve problems.…”

“…Notable transparent standouts include the articles/reports by the following authors and their colleagues: Dillon et al (2017), Opel et al (2006), Opel et al (2012), Piper et al (in press), Vaijayanti et al (2016), andVula et al (2017). Opel and colleagues (2012) provided detailed information about the intervention, including an overall summary of the classroom intervention, the domains of mathematics that were covered, and sample activities for each domain.…”

Analysis of Students' Errors in Solving Word Problems Viewed from Mathematical Resilience

“…One of the sources of difficulty in solving word problems in reading comprehension and the meaning of the keywords used in math word problems (Vula et al, 2017). The ability of students to understand problems is the factor most reported by the teacher as the cause of student difficulty in solving word problems (Pearce et al, 2011).…”