The contribution of domain-specific knowledge in predicting students' proportional word problem-solving performance

• Published in: Educational research and evaluation Vol. 19; no. 8; pp. 700 - 716
• Main Authors: Jitendra, Asha K., Lein, Amy E., Star, Jon R., Dupuis, Danielle N.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Abingdon Routledge 01.11.2013; Taylor & Francis Ltd
• Subjects: domain-specific knowledge; Grade 7; Intervention; Knowledge; Knowledge Level; Mathematical Concepts; Mathematical Logic; Mathematics Skills; Mathematics Tests; Middle School Students; Multiple Regression Analysis; Predictor Variables; Problem Solving; proportional word problem solving; Regression analysis; Students; United States (Midwest); Word Problems (Mathematics)
• ISSN: 1380-3611; 1744-4187
• DOI: 10.1080/13803611.2013.845107

This study explored the extent to which domain-specific knowledge predicted proportional word problem-solving performance. We tested 411 seventh-grade students on conceptual and procedural fraction knowledge, conceptual and procedural proportion knowledge, and proportional word problem solving. Multiple regression analyses indicated that all four domain-specific knowledge variables (i.e., conceptual and procedural fraction knowledge, conceptual and procedural proportion knowledge) significantly predicted proportional word problem-solving performance. Conceptual fraction and procedural proportion knowledge contributed the most unique variance (10.0 and 6.7%, respectively, of the total variance) to proportional word problem solving. Procedural fraction and conceptual proportion knowledge each also contributed significant unique variance to proportional word problem solving explaining 5.6 and 2.8%, respectively. The results support the notion that both conceptual fraction and proportion knowledge and procedural fraction and proportion knowledge play a major role in understanding individual differences in proportional word problem-solving performance to inform interventions.