Multiplicative structure problems: Evolution of students’ levels of success and strategies from 6 to 12 years

Pere Ivars
Ceneida Fernández

Abstract: The aim of this study is to characterize the evolution of the levels of success and strategies used by primary school students (6-12 years old) when solving multiplicative structure problems. Results show that students between 6-8 years old used mostly modelling and counting strategies, but after the third course, the majority of students used the algorithm. However, the use of the algorithm did not imply a decrease of the use of incorrect strategies and encouraged the appearance of a new incorrect strategy, the use of the inverse algorithm. These data suggest that the introduction of the algorithm to solve multiplicative structure problems is linked to a decrease in the use of other correct strategies that involved a proper understanding of the situation, but it does not entail an
improvement in students’ understanding of these situations.

Keywords: Multiplicative structure problems, strategies, Primary Education, evolution,



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