Page 203 - Pedagoška vizija / A Pedagogical Vision

What Makes Word Problem-Solving

Difficult? Factors Influencing Word
Problem-Solving Ability

Eleonora Doz Maria Chiara Passolunghi
University of Trieste University of Trieste
eleonora.doz@phd.units.it passolu@units.it
Mara Cotič
University of Primorska
mara.cotic@pef.upr.si

An essential aspect of mathematics education is represented by word
problem-solving. Word problems pose challenges for many students world-
wide,underscoringtheneedtocomprehendthefactorsinfluencingthismaths
ability. Drawing upon the theoretical framework proposed by Daroczy et al.
(2015), this contribution examines three primary factors contributing to stu-
dents’ difficulties in solving word problems. Firstly, it investigates how the
inherent characteristics of the problems themselves (i.e. linguistic features,
numerical features, and their interaction) influence the problems’ complex-
ity and increase cognitive load. Secondly, it discusses the cognitive abilities,
both domain-specific and domain-general, that are involved in word problem-
solving. Lastly, it considers the role of environmental factors such as textbooks,
technology integration, and quality of teaching. By examining the impact of
each factor, we advocate for pedagogical approaches that prioritize deep un-
derstanding of the situation described in the problems.
Keywords: word problem-solving, linguistic features, numerical features, cog-
nitive abilities, environmental factors

Introduction
A central aspect of mathematics educational curricula across all school levels
is represented by word problem-solving (Swanson, Lussier, and Orosco 2015).
Word problems are defined as a particular type of maths problem presented
in a verbal rather than numerical formulation (Verschaffel, Greer, and Corte
2000). Throughout history, they have played a significant role within math-
ematics education, tracing their origins back to nearly 4,000 years ago, ap-
pearing in Egyptian papyri, ancient Chinese, and Indian manuscripts (Swetz
2009).Theirenduringpresencein educationalcontextsstemsfromtheirmul-
tifaceted utility, such as preparing students to connect and apply mathemat-

Krmac, N.,S.Hudovernik, M. Rodela,M.Mezgec, M. RadetićPaićinM. Kukanja Gabrijelčič, ur. 2024.
Pedagoška vizija: premikanje izobraževanja od tradicije do inovacij – 50 let razvoja na Pedagoški fakulteti.
Koper: Založba Univerze na Primorskem. https://doi.org/10.26493/978-961-293-358-6.203-220