A Follow-Up Meta-Analysis for Word-Problem-Solving Interventions for Students With Mathematics Difficulties
Journal of Educational Research
Zhang, D., & Xin, Y. P. (2012).
Journal of Educational Research, 105(5), 303-318.
This is a partial update of a previous meta-analysis by Xin & Jitendra (1999). This meta-analysis investigates the effect of interventions to improve math word-problem solving in students with learning difficulties/disabilities in mathematics. This review includes interventions that a speech-language pathologist may use with students with learning disabilities to access the curriculum.
Not stated
<p>This article is a partial update of the following meta-analysis:</p>
<ul>
<li> Xin, Y. P., & Jitendra, A. (1999). The Effects of Instruction in Solving Mathematical Word Problems for Students with Learning Problems: A Meta-Analysis. <i>Journal of Special Education</i>, 32, 207–225.</li>
</ul>
1996 to 2009
Experimental studies; quasi-experimental studies; single-subject design studies
39 studies
The included studies demonstrated problem structure representation with the largest effect size of 2.637. The authors described problem structure representation techniques as explicit instruction to aid students to understand and represent word problems in a schema-based diagram or in a mathematical model.
Findings demonstrated no statistically significant difference between the effects of interventions for solving real-world word problems and the effects of interventions for solving simple-structured essential word problems. When effective interventions were provided, success was noted for students with and without learning disabilities in inclusive settings.
"Results indicated that, overall, all three categories of intervention strategies [(i.e., problem structure representation, cognitive, assistive technology)] enhanced students’ learning of word problems…. the effects of various word-problem-solving interventions were encouraging on students with [learning problems]" (pp. 314-415).
Results indicated cognitive strategies to yield a large mean effect size of 1.855. The included studies that investigated cognitive strategies included at least one of the following:
<ul>
<li>some type of cognitive or metacognitive strategy;</li>
<li>graduated instructional sequence; or</li>
<li>mnemonic strategy instruction. </li>
</ul>
