The Effect of Syntax On Low-Achieving Students' Abilities To Solve Mathematical Word Problems

Abstract

This study attempted to determine the influence of syntax on the difficulty of written mathematical problems with low-achieving eighth-grade students. Three tests, composed of increasingly more difficult sentence structures, were administered. These tests were developed at a fourth-grade level or below in reading vocabulary and mathematical computations. The subjects were functioning at a minimum fourth-grade achievement level for both reading and mathematical computations. The results revealed a significant difference between the test that contained the most complex syntax and the other 2 tests. Therefore, educators need to be aware of the syntactic structures contained in achievement tests and textbooks, and instruct students in developing a strategy that breaks difficult sentences into shorter sentences that are easier to read.

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