Assessment of students' mathematical ideas in decoding-representing-processing-implementing problem-solving process

• Main Author: Bravo, John Lemer G.
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Animo Repository 2023
• Subjects: Word problems (Mathematics); Problem solving, Mathematics—Study and teaching (Secondary); Mathematics—Problems, exercises, etc.; Science and Mathematics Education
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/etdm_scied/37; https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/context/etdm_scied/article/1044/viewcontent/Assessment_of_Students_Mathematical_Ideas_in_Decoding_Representi.redacted1.pdf
• Institution: De La Salle University

Solving word problems has been the most challenging task students need to perform in a mathematics classroom. Problem-solving ability consists of process skills that include decoding, representing, processing, and implementing. The purpose of the study is to investigate the students' problem-solving abilities in answering algebraic word problems in terms of their process skills and determine the relationship among those skills. Additionally, this study intends to analyze students' perceived sources of difficulties in answering word problems when prompted to use the identified process skills. A 5-item word problem consisting of algebraic word problems was used with questions regarding decoding, representing, processing, and implementing. The 31 participants in this study come from one Grade 8 mathematics class. A descriptive analysis was conducted to determine their level of problem-solving ability, while a correlation analysis was done to present the relationship among the four process skills. Deductive thematic analysis was used to analyze students' responses based on their perceptions of the sources of difficulty in answering word problems. Results showed that the students' problem-solving abilities in terms of decoding, representing, processing, and implementing were all interpreted as Moderate Level. The student's performance in all problem-solving process skills positively correlates with one another. Further research about improving students' problem-solving abilities through the lens of decoding, representing, processing, and implementing is highly recommended. KEYWORDS: Word Problems, Problem-Solving Ability, Decoding, Representing, Processing, Implementing