Improving Language Comprehension to Enhance Word-Problem Solving.

Area of Science:

• Educational Psychology
• Cognitive Science
• Mathematics Education

Background:

• Word-problem solving (WPS) is crucial for mathematical learning.
• Language comprehension difficulties often impede students' WPS performance.
• Existing interventions may not adequately address the linguistic demands of word problems.

Purpose of the Study:

• To elucidate the critical role of language comprehension in WPS.
• To introduce and evaluate an intervention combining schema-based strategies with explicit language comprehension instruction for WPS.
• To assess the added value of this integrated approach.

Main Methods:

• A review of existing research on language comprehension in WPS.
• Description of an innovative intervention embedding WPS-specific language comprehension instruction within schema-based instruction.
• A randomized controlled trial (RCT) to evaluate the intervention's efficacy.

Main Results:

• Language comprehension significantly contributes to students' success in WPS.
• The integrated intervention demonstrated added value compared to standard approaches.
• Students receiving the combined intervention showed improved WPS performance.

Conclusions:

• Explicitly teaching language comprehension skills is vital for effective WPS.
• Integrating linguistic strategies into schema-based interventions enhances mathematical problem-solving.
• Future research should explore further refinements and applications of this integrated approach.