An investigation of undergraduates' transformational problem solving strategies: cognitive/metacognitive processes as predictors of holistic/analytic strategies

Abstract

Recent years have seen increasing interest in the role of metacognition in mathematical problem solving. The study described in this paper explored problem solving strategies used by undergraduates. Furthermore, cognitive/metacognitive processes are predicted each of holistic and analytic strategies. Educational sciences students (n=178) were asked to talk/think aloud while solving two constructed response transformational problems. The protocols were transcribed and analysed, revealing that the cohort used nine strategies. The results showed that a holistic strategy was predicted by five cognitive/metacognitive processes, two of which were suppressors; whilst an analytic strategy was predicted by four cognitive/metacognitive processes, three of which were suppressors.