The present study investigated whether there were significant differences between boys and girls on the problem-solving strategies they report using during mathematical word problems. The Problem-solving Strategy Survey was administered to 210 boys and 201 girls in Grades 3, 4, and 5 from several public elementary schools. Boys reported making or constructing a model when solving mathematical problems significantly more often than girls, while girls reported using objects like coins and fingers and solving an easier problem within the problem first significantly more often than boys.
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