Addressing transformation
The problem in the video is used to demonstrate how teachers can assist students who have difficulties with the transformation of written problems in mathematics:
| Natalie paddled 402 km of the Murray River in her canoe over 6 days. She paddled the same distance each day. How far did Natalie paddle each day? |
What can a teacher do in the mathematics classroom with a student who has difficulty with transforming mathematics problems?
Focus on solving problems
Teachers can build the ability of students to transform mathematical texts into mathematical processes by creating classrooms where learning to read mathematics problems occurs frequently and where solving problems is the focus of mathematics lessons.
Teach students to represent problems
Through discussion, a class could identify that some effective ways of representing the above problem would be to act it out, to draw a table or to draw a series of pictures. Different groups of students could solve the problem using one of these representations and present their solutions to the class, for discussion.
Teach students to write problems
Having worked in this way to solve the focus problem, students could be asked to write a problem about a bike trek, the solution for which can be obtained by dividing 402 by 6. This provides students with an opportunity to transfer their understanding to a very similar context. When the students are successful at doing this, a very different context could be provided, for example, "Write a problem about $402, where the solution will be obtained by dividing 402 by 6." Adding distractors to these student-written problems and having the students exchange and solve the problems that they have written can assist in improving the students' ability to deal with problems at the transformation stage.
Rewrite the problem
In the case of the problem outlined above, a large number of students thought that 402 × 6 would lead to the correct answer. Teachers could guide their students in a joint rewriting of the problem, so that the solution can be obtained by doing 402 × 6. This should be followed up by a discussion of the changes that needed to be made to the text for this to happen.
© State of New South Wales through the Department of Education and Training, 1999 - 2009. All rights reserved.
Conditions of use | Help | Contact us
Report incorrect, out-of-date or missing information