A Preliminary Study of Tier 2 Vocabulary in Mathematical Word Problems in Young Elementary School Children
| Autor: | HSU, CHIA-NING, 許家寧 |
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| Rok vydání: | 2018 |
| Druh dokumentu: | 學位論文 ; thesis |
| Popis: | 106 Reading comprehension is an essential ability to young children in elementary school. The major problem in children solving mathematical-word-problems may come from the “problem decoding” step, which means they could not understand the meaning of the question that leads to the failure of mathematical-word-problem solving. One of the reasons of reading comprehension difficulties may derive from the abstract words in a problem, also known as tier 2 vocabulary or academic vocabulary. This research investigates the correlations among tier 2 vocabulary comprehension, reading comprehension of mathematical-word-problem and mathematical-word-problem solving ability of second grade children in primary school. Moreover, analyzing the differences of tier 2 vocabulary comprehension on the performances of mathematical-word-problems. The research participants include 128 typically-developed children from second grade in elementary school. Two tests were conducted including the “informal tier 2 vocabulary comprehension test” and “informal reading comprehension and problem-solving ability in mathematical-word-problem test”. Four kinds of score were rated: (1) tier 2 vocabulary comprehension, (2) comprehension of mathematical-word-problem, (3) mathematical-word-problem solving ability, and (4) basic calculation. The participants were divided into high-score group and low-score group depending on their performances on “informal tier 2 vocabulary comprehension test”. The relations between tier 2 vocabulary comprehension, comprehension of mathematical-word-problem, and mathematical-word-problem solving ability were analyzed by Pearson correlation coefficient. Independent T-test was conducted to analyze the differences of tier 2 vocabulary comprehension on reading comprehension of mathematical-word-problem, mathematical-word-problem solving ability and basic calculation ability. The results suggested that tier 2 vocabulary comprehension, comprehension of mathematical-word-problem, and mathematical-word-problem solving ability are both positively correlated. Better tier 2 vocabulary comprehension indicated better performances on mathematical-word-problems, including reading comprehension of mathematical-word-problem, mathematical-word-problem solving ability and basic calculation ability, also showed higher preference and initiative in reading. Participants who attend after-school math tutoring only showed better performance on basic calculation, but without significant difference. In conclusion, tier 2 vocabulary comprehension is an important ability on mathematical word-problem solving. However, it’s difficult to separate the different abilities of mathematical word-problem solving from its complicated cognitive process, and therefore further studies are needed to conclude a causal association between tier 2 vocabulary comprehension and mathematical word-problem solving. |
| Databáze: | Networked Digital Library of Theses & Dissertations |
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