
Developing Procedural Flexibility: Are Novices Prepared to Learn from Comparing Procedures?
Rittle-Johnson, Bethany; Star, Jon R.; Durkin, Kelley (2012). British Journal of Educational Psychology, v82 n3 p436-455. Retrieved from: https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ975135
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examining124Students, grade8
Practice Guide
Review Details
Reviewed: June 2019
- Practice Guide (findings for Teaching Strategies for Improving Algebra Knowledge in Middle and High School Students)
- Randomized Controlled Trial
- Meets WWC standards without reservations because it is a randomized controlled trial with low attrition.
This review may not reflect the full body of research evidence for this intervention.
Evidence Tier rating based solely on this study. This intervention may achieve a higher tier when combined with the full body of evidence.
Findings
Outcome measure |
Comparison | Period | Sample |
Intervention mean |
Comparison mean |
Significant? |
Improvement index |
Evidence tier |
|
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conceptual knowledge subtest of study generated test |
Teaching Strategies for Improving Algebra Knowledge in Middle and High School Students vs. Business as usual |
1 Day |
Full sample: Immediate Comparison of Procedures vs. Delayed Exposure;
|
26.79 |
29.10 |
No |
-- | ||
Show Supplemental Findings | |||||||||
Conceptual knowledge subtest of study generated test |
Teaching Strategies for Improving Algebra Knowledge in Middle and High School Students vs. Business as usual |
1 Month |
Full sample: Immediate Comparison of Procedures vs. Delayed Exposure;
|
25.18 |
28.81 |
No |
-- |
Outcome measure |
Comparison | Period | Sample |
Intervention mean |
Comparison mean |
Significant? |
Improvement index |
Evidence tier |
|
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
flexible use of procedures |
Teaching Strategies for Improving Algebra Knowledge in Middle and High School Students vs. Business as usual |
1 Day |
Full sample: Immediate Comparison of Procedures vs. Delayed Exposure;
|
27.17 |
15.00 |
Yes |
|
|
|
flexibility knowledge |
Teaching Strategies for Improving Algebra Knowledge in Middle and High School Students vs. Business as usual |
1 Day |
Full sample: Immediate Comparison of Procedures vs. Delayed Exposure;
|
50.87 |
42.63 |
No |
-- | ||
Show Supplemental Findings | |||||||||
flexible use of procedures |
Teaching Strategies for Improving Algebra Knowledge in Middle and High School Students vs. Business as usual |
1 Month |
Full sample: Immediate Comparison of Procedures vs. Delayed Exposure;
|
23.51 |
9.79 |
Yes |
-- | ||
flexibility knowledge |
Teaching Strategies for Improving Algebra Knowledge in Middle and High School Students vs. Business as usual |
1 Month |
Full sample: Immediate Comparison of Procedures vs. Delayed Exposure;
|
47.42 |
40.00 |
No |
-- |
Outcome measure |
Comparison | Period | Sample |
Intervention mean |
Comparison mean |
Significant? |
Improvement index |
Evidence tier |
|
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Procedural knowledge subtest of study generated test |
Teaching Strategies for Improving Algebra Knowledge in Middle and High School Students vs. Business as usual |
1 Day |
Full sample: Immediate Comparison of Procedures vs. Delayed Exposure;
|
38.09 |
34.20 |
No |
-- | ||
Show Supplemental Findings | |||||||||
Procedural knowledge subtest of study generated test |
Teaching Strategies for Improving Algebra Knowledge in Middle and High School Students vs. Business as usual |
1 Month |
Full sample: Immediate Comparison of Procedures vs. Delayed Exposure ;
|
35.59 |
31.07 |
No |
-- |
Evidence Tier rating based solely on this study. This intervention may achieve a higher tier when combined with the full body of evidence.
Sample Characteristics
Study sample characteristics were not reported.Study Details
Setting
The study took place in two public middle schools in the United States.
Intervention Group
Students worked with partners to study pairs of solved problems that used the same linear equation but provided different solution methods. Problems were presented side by side. The intervention took place in 2 classroom periods of 80–90 minutes over 2 days.
Comparison Group
Students worked with partners to study examples, but the examples were presented illustrating one solution method at a time. The examples were linear equations with one unknown.
Practice Guide
Review Details
Reviewed: June 2017
- Practice Guide (findings for Teaching Strategies for Improving Algebra Knowledge in Middle and High School Students)
- Randomized Controlled Trial
- Meets WWC standards with reservations because it is a randomized controlled trial with high attrition, but the analytic intervention and comparison groups satisfy the baseline equivalence requirement.
This review may not reflect the full body of research evidence for this intervention.
Evidence Tier rating based solely on this study. This intervention may achieve a higher tier when combined with the full body of evidence.
Findings
Outcome measure |
Comparison | Period | Sample |
Intervention mean |
Comparison mean |
Significant? |
Improvement index |
Evidence tier |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
flexibility knowledge |
Teaching Strategies for Improving Algebra Knowledge in Middle and High School Students vs. Business as usual |
2 Days |
Full sample: Delayed Comparison of Procedures vs. Delayed Exposure;
|
41.09 |
42.63 |
No |
-- | |
flexible use of procedures |
Teaching Strategies for Improving Algebra Knowledge in Middle and High School Students vs. Business as usual |
2 Days |
Full sample: Delayed Comparison of Procedures vs. Delayed Exposure;
|
9.91 |
15.00 |
No |
-- |
Evidence Tier rating based solely on this study. This intervention may achieve a higher tier when combined with the full body of evidence.
Sample Characteristics
Study sample characteristics were not reported.Study Details
Setting
2 public middle schools in the United States
Intervention Group
Students worked with partners to study pairs of solved problems presented side by side. On day 1, the examples in a pair used the same solution method to solve a different linear equation. On day 2, the examples in a pair solved the same equation using different solution methods. The intervention took place in 2 classroom periods of 80–90 minutes over 2 days.
Comparison Group
Students worked with partners to study solved problems, but the examples were presented illustrating one solution method at a time. The examples were linear equations with one unknown.
Teaching Strategies for Improving Algebra Knowledge in Middle and High School Students
Review Details
Reviewed: April 2015
- Randomized Controlled Trial
- Meets WWC standards without reservations
This review may not reflect the full body of research evidence for this intervention.
Evidence Tier rating based solely on this study. This intervention may achieve a higher tier when combined with the full body of evidence.
Findings
Evidence Tier rating based solely on this study. This intervention may achieve a higher tier when combined with the full body of evidence.
Sample Characteristics
Characteristics of study sample as reported by study author.
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Female: 50%
Male: 50% -
Race Asian 2% Black 14% White 77% -
Ethnicity Hispanic 7% Not Hispanic or Latino 93%
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