The role of the variables for strategy use in arithmetic word problem solving

peer reviewedThe assumption underlying the present study is that the nature of the variable involved in an arithmetical problem in which there are several solving strategies influences the construction of the representation and might force the strategy used hiding the possibilities to become aware of others and influence the performance. An experiment was carried out among 4th and 5th grade pupils who had to solve isomorphic problems in which two solving strategies can be admitted withWeight, Height and Duration variables. The results showed that the spontaneous implementation of these strategies and the performance depended on the nature of the variable involved in the problem. Implications of these results for educational purposes are discussed