TY - JOUR
T1 - Representing contextual mathematical problems in descriptive or depictive form
T2 - Design of an instrument and validation of its uses
AU - Hoogland, C.P.
AU - Pepin, B.E.U.
AU - Bakker, Arthur
AU - de Koning, Jaap
AU - Gravemeijer, K.P.E.
PY - 2016
Y1 - 2016
N2 - The aim of this study is to contribute to the body of knowledge on the use of contextual mathematical problems. Word problems are a predominant genre in mathematics classrooms in assessing students’ ability to solve problems from everyday life. Research on word problems, however, reveals a range of difficulties in their use in mathematics education. In our research we took an alternative approach: we designed image-rich numeracy problems as alternatives for word problems. A set of word problems was modified by systematically replacing the descriptive representation of the problem situation by a more depictive representation and an instrument was designed to measure the effect of this modification on students’ performance. The instrument can measure the effect of this alternative approach in a randomized controlled trial. In order to use the instrument at scale, we made this instrument also usable as a diagnostic test for an upcoming nationwide examination on numeracy. In this article we explain and discuss the design of the instrument and the validation of its intended uses.
AB - The aim of this study is to contribute to the body of knowledge on the use of contextual mathematical problems. Word problems are a predominant genre in mathematics classrooms in assessing students’ ability to solve problems from everyday life. Research on word problems, however, reveals a range of difficulties in their use in mathematics education. In our research we took an alternative approach: we designed image-rich numeracy problems as alternatives for word problems. A set of word problems was modified by systematically replacing the descriptive representation of the problem situation by a more depictive representation and an instrument was designed to measure the effect of this modification on students’ performance. The instrument can measure the effect of this alternative approach in a randomized controlled trial. In order to use the instrument at scale, we made this instrument also usable as a diagnostic test for an upcoming nationwide examination on numeracy. In this article we explain and discuss the design of the instrument and the validation of its intended uses.
U2 - 10.1016/j.stueduc.2016.06.005
DO - 10.1016/j.stueduc.2016.06.005
M3 - Article
SN - 0191-491X
VL - 50
SP - 22
EP - 32
JO - Studies in Educational Evaluation
JF - Studies in Educational Evaluation
IS - September
ER -