Dahmus Method students translated phrases successfully but failed to combine them into a single solution equation¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study · causal r2 · q1
Currency · newest study 1972 · not yet checked against its sources · not reviewed by a person

Subclaims¶

q1 i? Most Dahmus Method students translated verbal statements into symbol statements but did not combine them into one acceptable equation, while still solving the problems. → Bassler 1972

Evidence¶

Bassler 1972¶

Bassler, O. C.; Beers, M. I.; Richardson, L. I. (1972). Comparison of Two Instructional Strategies for Teaching the Solution to Verbal Problems. Final Report. George Peabody College for Teachers. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED075260

q1 · i? · causal · r2

Authors' interpretation from examining test papers: "a large majority of the DM subjects translated directly from the verbal statements to mathematical symbol statements," yet "They did not, however, combine these mathematical symbol statements into one acceptable equation which could he used to find the solution to the problem."

"They did not, however, combine these mathematical symbol statements into one acceptable equation which could he used to find the solution to the problem."

Discussion¶

Learner Variables¶

• Algebraic Thinking — outcome: instruction changes it

Related Claims¶

• Three weeks of explicit language-focused strategy instruction produced no significant word-problem gain in this study — the general claim this finding bears on, with the studies behind it
• Polya Method students outscore Dahmus Method students on the equation criterion for verbal problems — related
• Polya and Dahmus methods do not differ on the problem solution criterion — related
• Typical verbal achievement tests may underestimate students' subject-matter knowledge because of a mismatch between the test's symbolic form and students' symbolic encoding — a broader claim this one bears on
• Ninth grade algebra students solve verbally presented problems better than symbolically presented problems
• On the problem solution criterion, verbal problem solving scores do not decline over four weeks and rise on the more complex problems — related
• Algebra ability level differences appear on both criteria with no treatment-by-ability interaction — related
• Two types of equation in school mathematics are easily confused and the confusion can be avoided by suggested means — related