Individual Differences in Strategy Use on Division Problems: Mental Versus Written Computation

Individual differences in strategy use (choice and accuracy) were analyzed. A sample of 362 Grade 6 students solved complex division problems under 2 different conditions. In the choice condition students were allowed to use either a mental or a written strategy. In the subsequent no-choice conditio...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of educational psychology 2010-05, Vol.102 (2), p.438-452
Main Authors: Hickendorff, Marian, van Putten, Cornelis M, Verhelst, Norman D, Heiser, Willem J
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Accuracy
Biological and medical sciences
Choice Behavior
Cognitive Processes
Comparative Analysis
Computation
Educational psychology
Elementary School Mathematics
Elementary school students
Female
Foreign Countries
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Gender Differences
Grade 6
Human
Individual Differences
Interviews
Item Response Theory
Latent Variables
Learning Strategies
Male
Mathematics
Mental Computation
Netherlands
Problem Solving
Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry
Psychology. Psychophysiology
Pupil and student. Academic achievement and failure
Scores
Strategies
Writing (Composition)
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Summary:Individual differences in strategy use (choice and accuracy) were analyzed. A sample of 362 Grade 6 students solved complex division problems under 2 different conditions. In the choice condition students were allowed to use either a mental or a written strategy. In the subsequent no-choice condition, they were required to use a written strategy. Latent class analysis showed that there were 3 subgroups of students with respect to pattern of strategy choices: primarily using a written strategy (more girls than boys); primarily using a mental strategy (more boys than girls); and using a written strategy on more difficult items but a mental strategy on the easier ones (almost no weak mathematical achievers). Strategy accuracies were analyzed with explanatory item response theory modeling. A between-subjects comparison in the choice condition showed that written strategies were usually more accurate than mental strategies, especially for the weak achievers. A within-subject comparison showed that the performance of students who used mental calculation on a particular item in the choice condition improved if they were required to use a written strategy in the no-choice condition.
ISSN:0022-0663
1939-2176
DOI:10.1037/a0018177