Improving students' proportional thinking using schema-based instruction

Asha K. Jitendra; Jon R. Star; Michael Rodriguez; Mary Lindell; Fumio Someki

doi:10.1016/j.learninstruc.2011.04.002

Improving students' proportional thinking using schema-based instruction

Asha K. Jitendra, Jon R. Star, Michael Rodriguez, Mary Lindell, Fumio Someki

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

55 Scopus citations

Abstract

This study investigated the effectiveness of an instructional program (schema-based instruction, SBI) designed to teach 7th graders how to comprehend and solve proportion problems involving ratios/rates, scale drawings, and percents. The SBI program emphasized the underlying mathematical structure of problems via schematic diagrams, focused on a 4-step procedure to support and monitor problem solving, and addressed the flexible use of alternative solution strategies based on the problem situation. Blocking by teacher at three middle schools, the authors randomly assigned the 21 classrooms to one of two conditions: SBI and control. Classroom teachers provided the instruction. Results of multilevel modeling used to test for treatment effects after accounting for pretests and other characteristics (gender, ethnicity) revealed the direct effects of SBI on mathematical problem solving at posttest. However, the improved problem solving skills were not maintained a month later when SBI was no longer in effect nor did the skills transfer to solving problems in new domain-level content.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	731-745
Number of pages	15
Journal	Learning and Instruction
Volume	21
Issue number	6
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.learninstruc.2011.04.002
State	Published - Dec 2011

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
The research reported here was supported by the Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education , through Grant # R305K060002 . The opinions expressed are those of the authors and do not represent views of the U.S. Department of Education. We gratefully acknowledge the efforts of all teachers and students who participated. Thanks are extended to the Project Coordinator, Susan Slater, as well as Beth Zukowski, Katie Freemont, and Becky Lim who served as research assistants for the study. We also wish to thank the data collectors, Xueqin Qian and Michael Berner.

Keywords

Middle school students
Ratio and proportion
Schema-based instruction
Word problem solving

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title = "Improving students' proportional thinking using schema-based instruction",

abstract = "This study investigated the effectiveness of an instructional program (schema-based instruction, SBI) designed to teach 7th graders how to comprehend and solve proportion problems involving ratios/rates, scale drawings, and percents. The SBI program emphasized the underlying mathematical structure of problems via schematic diagrams, focused on a 4-step procedure to support and monitor problem solving, and addressed the flexible use of alternative solution strategies based on the problem situation. Blocking by teacher at three middle schools, the authors randomly assigned the 21 classrooms to one of two conditions: SBI and control. Classroom teachers provided the instruction. Results of multilevel modeling used to test for treatment effects after accounting for pretests and other characteristics (gender, ethnicity) revealed the direct effects of SBI on mathematical problem solving at posttest. However, the improved problem solving skills were not maintained a month later when SBI was no longer in effect nor did the skills transfer to solving problems in new domain-level content.",

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Improving students' proportional thinking using schema-based instruction

Abstract

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Keywords

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