Teaching children to solve mathematical word problems in an imported language

Debbie Bautista Verzosa; Joanne Mulligan

Teaching children to solve mathematical word problems in an imported language

Debbie Bautista Verzosa^*, Joanne Mulligan

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference proceeding contribution

Abstract

Many Filipino children find mathematical word problems particularly difficult to solve because they are required to learn mathematics and solve problems in English, a language that many encounter only in school. This paper reports on one aspect of a two-year design study aimed to assist second-grade Filipino children solve additive word problems in English. With Filipino as the medium of instruction, an out-of-school pedagogical intervention providing linguistic and representational scaffolds was implemented with 17 children over 10 weeks. Pre-intervention, children experienced linguistic difficulties and were limited to conceptualising and solving simple additive structures. Post-intervention interviews revealed improved understanding of more complex structures, but only when linguistic difficulties were minimised.

Original language	English
Title of host publication	proceedings of the 36th conference of the international group for psychology of mathematics education
Subtitle of host publication	opportunities to learn in mathematics education
Editors	Tai-Yih Tso
Place of Publication	Taipei, Taiwan
Publisher	INT GRP PSYCHOL MATH EDUC
Pages	203-210
Number of pages	8
Volume	4
Publication status	Published - 2012
Event	36th Annual Conference of the International-Group-for-Psychology-of-Mathematics-Education (PME 36) - Taipei, Taiwan, Province of China Duration: 18 Jul 2012 → 22 Jul 2012

Publication series

Name	PME Conference Proceedings
Publisher	INT GRP PSYCHOL MATH EDUC
ISSN (Print)	0771-100X

Conference

Conference	36th Annual Conference of the International-Group-for-Psychology-of-Mathematics-Education (PME 36)
Country	Taiwan, Province of China
City	Taipei
Period	18/07/12 → 22/07/12

Cite this

Verzosa, D. B., & Mulligan, J. (2012). Teaching children to solve mathematical word problems in an imported language. In T-Y. Tso (Ed.), proceedings of the 36th conference of the international group for psychology of mathematics education: opportunities to learn in mathematics education (Vol. 4, pp. 203-210). (PME Conference Proceedings). Taipei, Taiwan: INT GRP PSYCHOL MATH EDUC.

Verzosa, Debbie Bautista ; Mulligan, Joanne. / Teaching children to solve mathematical word problems in an imported language. proceedings of the 36th conference of the international group for psychology of mathematics education: opportunities to learn in mathematics education. editor / Tai-Yih Tso. Vol. 4 Taipei, Taiwan : INT GRP PSYCHOL MATH EDUC, 2012. pp. 203-210 (PME Conference Proceedings).

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title = "Teaching children to solve mathematical word problems in an imported language",

abstract = "Many Filipino children find mathematical word problems particularly difficult to solve because they are required to learn mathematics and solve problems in English, a language that many encounter only in school. This paper reports on one aspect of a two-year design study aimed to assist second-grade Filipino children solve additive word problems in English. With Filipino as the medium of instruction, an out-of-school pedagogical intervention providing linguistic and representational scaffolds was implemented with 17 children over 10 weeks. Pre-intervention, children experienced linguistic difficulties and were limited to conceptualising and solving simple additive structures. Post-intervention interviews revealed improved understanding of more complex structures, but only when linguistic difficulties were minimised.",

author = "Verzosa, {Debbie Bautista} and Joanne Mulligan",

year = "2012",

language = "English",

volume = "4",

series = "PME Conference Proceedings",

publisher = "INT GRP PSYCHOL MATH EDUC",

pages = "203--210",

editor = "Tai-Yih Tso",

booktitle = "proceedings of the 36th conference of the international group for psychology of mathematics education",

}

Verzosa, DB & Mulligan, J 2012, Teaching children to solve mathematical word problems in an imported language. in T-Y Tso (ed.), proceedings of the 36th conference of the international group for psychology of mathematics education: opportunities to learn in mathematics education. vol. 4, PME Conference Proceedings, INT GRP PSYCHOL MATH EDUC, Taipei, Taiwan, pp. 203-210, 36th Annual Conference of the International-Group-for-Psychology-of-Mathematics-Education (PME 36), Taipei, Taiwan, Province of China, 18/07/12.

Teaching children to solve mathematical word problems in an imported language. / Verzosa, Debbie Bautista; Mulligan, Joanne.

proceedings of the 36th conference of the international group for psychology of mathematics education: opportunities to learn in mathematics education. ed. / Tai-Yih Tso. Vol. 4 Taipei, Taiwan : INT GRP PSYCHOL MATH EDUC, 2012. p. 203-210 (PME Conference Proceedings).

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference proceeding contribution

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T1 - Teaching children to solve mathematical word problems in an imported language

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AU - Mulligan, Joanne

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AB - Many Filipino children find mathematical word problems particularly difficult to solve because they are required to learn mathematics and solve problems in English, a language that many encounter only in school. This paper reports on one aspect of a two-year design study aimed to assist second-grade Filipino children solve additive word problems in English. With Filipino as the medium of instruction, an out-of-school pedagogical intervention providing linguistic and representational scaffolds was implemented with 17 children over 10 weeks. Pre-intervention, children experienced linguistic difficulties and were limited to conceptualising and solving simple additive structures. Post-intervention interviews revealed improved understanding of more complex structures, but only when linguistic difficulties were minimised.

M3 - Conference proceeding contribution

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T3 - PME Conference Proceedings

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EP - 210

BT - proceedings of the 36th conference of the international group for psychology of mathematics education

A2 - Tso, Tai-Yih

PB - INT GRP PSYCHOL MATH EDUC

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Verzosa DB, Mulligan J. Teaching children to solve mathematical word problems in an imported language. In Tso T-Y, editor, proceedings of the 36th conference of the international group for psychology of mathematics education: opportunities to learn in mathematics education. Vol. 4. Taipei, Taiwan: INT GRP PSYCHOL MATH EDUC. 2012. p. 203-210. (PME Conference Proceedings).