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Mathematical Word Problems Alexis Saunders Western Governors University Rachel Wedemeier—C561 July 7, 2021

2 Capstone Prospectus Topic I teach seventh grade mathematics in a small, rural town located in West Virginia. This upcoming school year will be my second year as a teacher. The degree program I am currently in is curriculum and instruction. During my experience last year, I noticed that the students really struggle when it comes to word problems, it seemed as if they knew how to solve the problem but could not figure out how to get the information needed in order to solve. Word problems in math can be tricky. In order to get the right answer, students have to be able to read the words, figure out what operation(s) to use, and then calculate correctly (Cunningham, 2021). Therefore, the topic I plan to study is students’ abilities to solve mathematical word problems. The purpose of this study is to examine the mistakes and troubles that students are having when it comes to solving word problems as well as how the impact of my instruction and practice has improved the students’ abilities for word problem solving. This topic is relevant to the field of education because it addresses real world problems that students will likely come in contact with later on in life as well as two core subject areas which includes mathematics and English. Problem solving in math and reading comprehension go together. Solving math problems requires the students to use two skills at the same time which is reading and computing (Lorenmurcia, 2012). Problem Statement Math classrooms rarely incorporate reading comprehension strategies or techniques making it difficult for students to correctly solve mathematical word problems. As a seventh-grade math teacher, the researcher has noticed that many students come into her classroom with the abilities to read and solve mathematical problems, but when the two are

3 concepts are put together, students do not succeed. The researcher knows that the participants are below grade level and need enrichment and instruction in order to correct the issue. Problem Discussion There is a problem of students’ abilities to solve mathematical word problems. Despite the students abilities to read and solve mathematical problems, students struggle when these two areas are combined. This is important to the field of education because it applies to real world situations, not just in the school setting and will create a significant barrier as students progress throughout their life. The instructional problem in this topic is reading comprehension. This problem is significant to the field because in order to solve mathematical word problems, one must comprehend what the word problem is asking. When looking at a math section of a standardized test like the PARCC, specifically at the middle school level including grades 6-8, proficiency rates of students who met or exceeded expectations fell under 35% and it can be seen that word problem portion of the test is where students struggled. Word problems are complicated because of their descriptive language. Students do not understand what they are being asked. (Masullo, 2017). Math word problems are viewed as a vital part of the curriculum because it enhances the students’ mental skills, develops logical analysis, and boosts creative thinking. In order to solve word problems, children have to read well. Even if a student is a strong reader, they may pick up on the clues in the word problems (Nguyen, 2019). A possible cause of this problem is that students struggle when combining two skills together. Another possible cause of this problem is simply lack of confidence and not knowing how to tackle the problem. In my experience, students see a mathematical word problem and are immediately frightened.

4 Proposed Solution The proposed solution is to find a way that allows students to tackle mathematical word problems with confidence. It is my goal to allow students to approach the word problems with the knowledge and ability to not only find the correct answer, but also show their work and feel confident while doing so. In order to do this, I will use a few helpful approaches that will support students in solving math word problems. The first step will be to provide daily problem solving opportunities that are real to the students. For example, I will allow students to make up their own word problems and have the class solve one per day at the beginning of class (10 minutes per day for 15 days totaling 150 minutes or 2 ½ hours). Using students names, specific events, interests, and the math skill that is being taught in word problems will increase their attention and distract them from the language based problems. The second step will be to practice specific skills such as finding the important information in the word problem (5 minutes per day for 15 days totaling 75 minutes or 1 ¼ hours). The third step will be to provide students with concrete, representational, or abstract materials. The third and final step will be to teach students problem solving strategies (20 minutes per day for 15 days totaling 300 minutes or 5 hours). Students will learn how to use the SOLVE strategy: S-study the problem, O-organize the facts, L-line up the plan, V-verify you plan with computation, E-examine your answer. Through using these five steps, students are able to work through the problem more carefully without becoming overwhelmed or distracted. Participants In this study, there will be ten participants from the researcher’s classroom. All participants attend Spencer Middle School in Spencer, West Virginia, which is a small, rural town. This is a Title 1 school where all students receive free breakfast, lunch, and dinner during

5 the school year. The participants will consist of 6 boys and 4 girls ranging in age from 12-13 years old. All of the students are Caucasian. All of the students are in the seventh grade but are performing below grade level. The students have been placed in this class to receive extra assistance in the area of mathematics. The learning styles of these students vary from kinesthetic, visual, and auditory meaning that it will be important that throughout the lessons students are exposed to all learning styles. When it comes to prior learning experiences, all of the students received some type of instruction through virtual learning during the previous school year and did not perform well. Some of the students were full time virtual learners, while others were not. The majority of these students are very motivated but are easily distracted and discouraged when it comes to math word problems. Informed consent will be gathered from each of the participant’s parent/guardian before the implementation of the research. Research Question(s) 1. When using appropriate problem-solving strategies, do students feel more confident answering mathematical word problems? 2. How does instruction for mathematical word problems including problem solving strategies affect student’s ability to correctly solve word problems as measured by a pre and post-assessment? Data Collection and Instruments and Methods The main method of data collection for the research study will be administering pre and post assessment to collect quantitative data to measure and compare the tests to determine if there was a change in data. The pre and post-test data collection instrument will consist of ten mathematical word problems. Students will also use a SOLVE math word problem strategy sheet to assist them when completing the word problems.

6 Participants will be tested on the ten-word problems before the instructional unit is taught, the researcher will then use a recording sheet for each student to determine if they correctly answered the question. The total number of questions answered correctly out of 10 will be counted and recorded. Following the three weeks of the instructional unit, students will be given the post assessment. The researcher will analyze the preassessment and post-assessment data to determine if there was a change in averages. Another data-collection instrument that I will use includes a survey using a Likert scale. This survey will allow students to answer two questions about mathematical word problems. Students will take this survey before and after instruction to see the progress made. Data Analysis After the pre-assessment for solving mathematical word problems has been given, the scores will be computed into a spreadsheet. The same method will be used after the postassessment. Descriptive statistics will be used to determine different mathematical calculations (median, mode, mean) of the scores in order to determine the differences among individual students. the mean scores will be compared to assist the researcher in analyzing the data from the participants in the study in order to determine if change occurred in the participants abilities to solve mathematical word problems.

7 References Cunningham, B. (2021, April 19). Why some kids struggle with math word problems. https://www.understood.org/articles/en/trouble-with-math-word-problems. Lorenmurcia. (2012, January 8). Action Research Proposal: Mathematics Problem-Solving Skill and Reading Comprehension. https://owlcation.com/stem/Action-Research-ProposalMathematics-Problem-Solving-Skill-And-Reading-Comprehension. Masullo, C. (2019, February 20). What's the Problem With Word Problems? (Opinion). What's the Problem With Word Problems? https://www.edweek.org/teaching-learning/opinionwhats-the-problem-with-word-problems/2017/12. Math-Aids.Com. (2021). Math Worksheets. https://www.math-aids.com/. Nguyen, T. (2019, December 13). Why Your Kids Struggle With Math Word Problems (and how you can help). Why Your Kids Struggle With Math Word Problems. https://blog.e2.com.vn/why-your-kids-struggle-with-math-word-problems-and-how-youcan-help/.

8 Appendix A

SOLVE Strategy

Study the problem   

Highlight the question Highlight key words… look for verbs Rewrite the problem in your own words

Organize the facts   

Underline key facts Eliminate unnecessary information List all necessary facts

Line up a plan  

Choose an operation Tell in words how you will solve the problem

Verify your plan with action  

Examine your answer Carry out your plan

Evaluate the results 

Is the answer

Complete each section. Show your thinking.

9  

reasonable? Can you check it another way? Can you represent your problem another way?...