The purpose of my study was to determine if reviewing vocabulary, breaking down the structure of word problems, and the use of schematic diagrams would increase my students' ability to solve word problems as well as their confidence. Whenever I included a story problem in the notes students tended to shut down. They saw a problem with a few sentences on a quiz or test and decided they don’t want to try it. I often heard comments such as “I hate word problems. If I don’t do the level four questions can I still do okay?”.
Test scores and MAP testing data further proved this point. Freshmen and sophomores in the Pre-Algebra class were tested using MAP tests. Approximately 50% of students in the class were performing below average for both math and reading. If students are struggling to read this may impact their ability to solve word problems. About half of the class (16 total students) attempt word problems on tests. Of these students only a few were able to set up and complete the problems correctly.
In real life my students will not be asked to find the solution to a two-step equation or plot a linear function on the coordinate plane. They will be faced with actual situations that require them to problem solve. Some of these situations could involve the mathematical skills they are learning in class. I wanted them to be able to recognize what skills are needed and when to use them. Word problems are the most applicable problems yet we tend to focus the least on them or designate them as the most challenging problems. Students find them intimidating or unnecessary. I wanted to find better ways to teach word problems to students so that they are more confident before a test.
Test scores and MAP testing data further proved this point. Freshmen and sophomores in the Pre-Algebra class were tested using MAP tests. Approximately 50% of students in the class were performing below average for both math and reading. If students are struggling to read this may impact their ability to solve word problems. About half of the class (16 total students) attempt word problems on tests. Of these students only a few were able to set up and complete the problems correctly.
In real life my students will not be asked to find the solution to a two-step equation or plot a linear function on the coordinate plane. They will be faced with actual situations that require them to problem solve. Some of these situations could involve the mathematical skills they are learning in class. I wanted them to be able to recognize what skills are needed and when to use them. Word problems are the most applicable problems yet we tend to focus the least on them or designate them as the most challenging problems. Students find them intimidating or unnecessary. I wanted to find better ways to teach word problems to students so that they are more confident before a test.
These strategies were selected because they are supported by research. Despite being the most applicable to real life, word problems are often pushed to the side. They are tacked on at the end of a lesson when students have lost focus. More time is spent teaching the basic concept, so understanding of a word problem is seen as secondary because it is a more advanced skill. Using strategies such as reviewing vocabulary, categorizing information, and drawing diagrams can make word problems less intimidating for students. These tools can equip them to be more successful in the math classroom. For a more detailed description of the research supporting these strategies see the literature review below.