ROLES OF SYMBOLIC KNOWLEDGE AND PROBLEM INFORMATION CONTEXT IN SOLVING WORD-PROBLEMS

In 4 experiments, the effects of symbolic knowledge (i.e., knowledge about the meaning of mathematical notation) and problem-information context (PIC) on translating relational statements (e.g., ''There are 6 times as many students as professors'') into math equations were examined. College students were more likely to construct correct equations when symbolic knowledge was presented than they were when they only received a single relational statement. Ss who received a PIC that more closely resembled a complete word problem did better on the equation-writing task than did those who only received a relational statement. Results indicated that the effects of the two factors are not separate. When Ss had the appropriate PIC, performance on the equation-writing task was enhanced because Ss' own memory representations for symbolic knowledge were more accessible. Contextual constraints in the access and use of knowledge in problem solving are discussed.