Role of Schemas in One-Step Word Problems

This study focuses on the structures and relationships involved in one-step additive and multiplicative problems. Thirty-three problems were given to 450 students in grades 2, 3 and 4. The analysis of results showed that the facility ratio of the problems differs by structure, by situation and by the sequence of the data within the same situation. It was also verified that students’ ability to solve one-step problems increases with age, but the relative difficulty of the problems is grade independent. Four cognitive developmental levels were indicated. It is envisaged that teachers may facilitate students to develop efficient problem solving schema networks, by hierarchically sequencing activities related to one-step problems.