Using Schema-Based Diagrams to Represent and Solve Word Problems: Relationship between Elementary Preservice Teachers’ Knowledge and Demonstration

ABSTRACT

The analysis of word problem types and schema-based diagrams are assumed useful for helping students and thus, important for preservice teachers to learn in their preparation programs. Drawing on pre-and post-assessments and videotaped demonstrations, this study analyzed elementary preservice teachers’ understanding of addition and subtraction word problem types and how well they could demonstrate their understanding after their exposure in a mathematics methods course. Results suggest that while participants’ knowledge of word problem types and their ability to solve word problems were substantially improved, their identification, diagram representations, and solutions for different types of word problems were not substantially developed. Policy and research implications for these findings are then discussed and proposed.

KEYWORDS:

• Diagram-based instruction
• word problems
• preservice teachers

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Shuang Zhang

Shuang Zhang is a PhD candidate in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction in the College of Education at Texas Tech University. Her research interests are in teacher preparation, mathematics education, and word problems.

Jian Wang

Jian Wang, PhD, is Professor and Helen DeVitt Jones Chair in Teacher Education in the College of Education at Texas Tech University. His research interests are teacher education, teacher mentoring, and comparative study of mathematics teaching and learning.

Raymond Flores

Raymond Flores, EdD, is an Associate Professor of Mathematics Education in the Department of Teacher Education in the College of Education at Texas Tech University. His research interests are preservice teacher education, teacher preparation, and educational technology.