WWC review of this study

The Development of Flexibility in Equation Solving

Star, Jon R.; Seifert, Colleen (2006). Contemporary Educational Psychology, v31 n3 p280-300 Jul 2006. Retrieved from: https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ737570

  • Randomized Controlled Trial
     examining 
    32
     Students
    , grade
    6

Reviewed: February 2024

No statistically significant positive
findings
Meets WWC standards without reservations
Procedural flexibility outcomes—Substantively important positive effect found for the domain
Outcome
measure
Comparison Period Sample Intervention
mean
Comparison
mean
Significant? Improvement
    index
Evidence
tier

Number of inventions

Alternative ordering task – Star & Seifert (2006) vs. Business as usual

3 Days

Full sample;
32 students

2.50

0.70

No

--

Number of problems with unique strategies

Alternative ordering task – Star & Seifert (2006) vs. Business as usual

3 Days

Full sample;
32 students

3.20

2.40

No

--
Procedural knowledge outcomes—Substantively important negative effect found for the domain
Outcome
measure
Comparison Period Sample Intervention
mean
Comparison
mean
Significant? Improvement
    index
Evidence
tier

Knowledge of standard solutions

Alternative ordering task – Star & Seifert (2006) vs. Business as usual

3 Days

Full sample;
32 students

2.00

2.20

No

--

Procedural knowledge (% correct)

Alternative ordering task – Star & Seifert (2006) vs. Business as usual

3 Days

Full sample;
32 students

71.61

79.00

No

--


Evidence Tier rating based solely on this study. This intervention may achieve a higher tier when combined with the full body of evidence.

Characteristics of study sample as reported by study author.

    • B
    • A
    • C
    • D
    • E
    • F
    • G
    • I
    • H
    • J
    • K
    • L
    • P
    • M
    • N
    • O
    • Q
    • R
    • S
    • V
    • U
    • T
    • W
    • X
    • Z
    • Y
    • a
    • h
    • i
    • b
    • d
    • e
    • f
    • c
    • g
    • j
    • k
    • l
    • m
    • n
    • o
    • p
    • q
    • r
    • s
    • t
    • u
    • x
    • w
    • y

    Midwest

Setting

Multiple schools within a district in a medium- sized city in the Midwest region of the United States

Intervention Group

The intervention took place over 3 days at a local university. After the first day of instruction, students were given problems they had previously solved during the instructional lesson and were asked to solve them again using a different ordering of steps. The problems were linear equations with one unknown.

Comparison Group

Students solved a new problem that was similar in form to a problem they had previously solved during the first day of instruction. The problems were linear equations with one unknown.

Reviewed: April 2015

Meets WWC standards without reservations


Evidence Tier rating based solely on this study. This intervention may achieve a higher tier when combined with the full body of evidence.

Characteristics of study sample as reported by study author.


  • Female: 53%
    Male: 47%

Reviewed: May 2012

Meets WWC standards without reservations


Evidence Tier rating based solely on this study. This intervention may achieve a higher tier when combined with the full body of evidence.

Characteristics of study sample as reported by study author.


  • Female: 56%
    Male: 44%
 

Your export should download shortly as a zip archive.

This download will include data files for study and findings review data and a data dictionary.

Connect With the WWC

loading
back to top