Alternative-strategy practices are most effective for improving procedural flexibility, with weaker evidence for conceptual and procedural knowledge¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study · review r3 · q2
Currency · newest study 2015 · checked against its sources 2026-10-17 (automated, 1 of 1 entry) · not reviewed by a person

Subclaims¶

Reading the evidence codes

q is the design tier, i the impact, n the sample, and the kind with its r the rigour judged within that kind: what each code means.

This claim: no standardized effect is recorded in observations/ for it yet, so no benchmark reading is possible.

q2 i? The practices in Recommendation 3 are most effective in improving procedural flexibility. → Star 2015 q2 i? The evidence linking Recommendation 3 to conceptual knowledge and procedural knowledge was not as strong. → Star 2015

Evidence¶

Star 2015¶

Star, J. R., Caronongan, P., Foegen, A., Furgeson, J., Keating, B., Larson, M. R., Lyskawa, J., McCallum, W. G., Porath, J., & Zbiek, R. M. (2015). Teaching strategies for improving algebra knowledge in middle and high school students (NCEE 2015-4010). Washington, DC: National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance, Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education. https://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/PracticeGuide/20

q2 · i? · review · r3

The guide's own synthesis of the studies supporting Recommendation 3, stated in the introduction's summary of supporting research. It reports a domain-specific pattern favoring procedural flexibility; no effect sizes are printed for this statement.

"most of the supporting evidence for Recom- mendation 3 suggested that the practices in this recommendation are most effective in improving procedural flexibility. The evidence linking Recommendation 3 to improvement in conceptual knowledge and procedural knowledge was not as strong."

Discussion¶

Learner Variables¶

Mathematical Flexibility — outcome: instruction changes it

Strategy Instruction Needs Conditional Knowledge — the general claim this finding bears on, with the studies behind it
Comparing cases side by side improves learning and transfer by a moderate average amount, though in one algebra study it raised procedural knowledge and flexibility but not conceptual knowledge — related
Productive Failure Improves Conceptual Learning — related
Studying solved problems improves algebra achievement compared to solving practice problems alone, though the evidence base is rated minimal and one study found negative effects — related
Teaching reflective questioning or using graphical representations improves procedural and conceptual knowledge across diverse populations — related

Page metadata

Field	Value
`type`	`claim`
`id`	`alternative-strategies-most-effective-for-procedural-flexibility`
`title`	`Alternative-strategy practices are most effective for improving procedural flexibility, with weaker evidence for conceptual and procedural knowledge`
`description`	`Alternative-strategy practices are most effective for improving procedural flexibility, with weaker evidence for conceptual and procedural knowledge`
`status`	`review`
`evidence_strength`	`weak`
`newest_evidence`	`2015`
`source_checked`	`2026-10-17`
`generated`	by `process:wiki-ingest` on `2026-10-09`
`trust`	unverified — no one has confirmed this page's content
`sources`	1 — `star-2015`

Frontmatter is the page's machine-readable record — see the Schema & Guide.