Strategy Use for Multiplication Problem Solving in College Engineering Students

• In Event: 72.049 - Roundtable Session 34
  In Roundtable Session: 72.049-12 - Undergraduate Learning of Mathematics Content and Pedagogy

Abstract

The primary purpose of this study is to explore strategy use in 164 college engineering students in relation to their current academic achievement. The measures of strategy use in double-digit multiplication problem solving demonstrated important clinical utility in terms of differentiating high-achieving undergraduate students from average and low-achieving undergraduate students in engineering majors. High-achieving were much more likely to recognize the strategies imposed and use them accordingly. The findings suggested that, at college level, recognizing efficient strategies based on problem formats appear to be more important learning abilities than simply solving the problems correctly or randomly using inefficient strategies. The ability to recognize number property strategies explained statistically significant amount of variance in undergraduate students’ current term GPA.

Authors

• Sarah Powell, The School at Columbia University

• Yi Ding, Fordham University

• Qian Wang, Manhattan College

• Jonathan Stein, Fordham University

• Ilene Tyler, Fordham University