CHILDREN'S PROPORTIONAL REASONING AND TENDENCY FOR AN ADDITIVE STRATEGY: THE ROLE OF MODELS

Abstract

In this paper we report on 10 –14 year old children's strategies while solving two versions of ratio and proportion tasks: one ‘with models’ thought to facilitate proportional reasoning and one ‘without’. Rasch methodology was used to develop ‘with’ and ‘without models’ test versions which were given to a linked sample involving 673 children. We examine the pupils’ additive errors, their effect on ratio reasoning and how contingent on ‘model’ presentation this is. First, we provide a single scale on which pupils, item-difficulty and additive errors can be located. We then provide a new scale constructed from the error prone items, which we name the ‘tendency for additive strategy’. The measurement data is supported by qualitative data showing that the presence of ‘models’ can sometimes affect children's strategies, both positively and negatively but rarely makes a significant measurement difference on this, untutored, sample.