Definition and Function of Word Problems
Word problems are typically defined as verbal descriptions of problem situations wherein one or more questions are raised the answer to which can be obtained by the application of mathematical operations to numerical data available in the problem statement (Verschaffel et al. 2000). As such they differ both from bare sums presented in written (e.g., 4 + 5 = ?; 5x + 2 = 22) or oral form (e.g., How much is 40 divided by 5?; What is the mean of the numbers 12, 17, 17, 18?), as well as from quantitative problems encountered in real life (e.g., Which type of loan should we take? Can I drive home from here without filling the tank?).
Importantly, the term “word problem” does not necessarily imply that every task that meets the above definition represents a true problem, in the cognitive-psychological sense of the word, for a given student, i.e., a task for which no routine method of solution is available and which therefore requires the activation of...
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Verschaffel, L., Depaepe, F., Van Dooren, W. (2020). Word Problems in Mathematics Education. In: Lerman, S. (eds) Encyclopedia of Mathematics Education. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-15789-0_163
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