STRATEGY FLEXIBILITY IN MORE AND LESS COMPETENT STUDENTS ON MATHEMATICAL WORD-PROBLEMS

Thirteen 11th-grade students in enriched mathematics and 9 in a regula r course solved nine word problems that varied in the ease with which they could be solved by verbal-logical or visual strategies. A pervasi ve use of verbal-logical solution methods was noted for both groups. S ignificant differences were found in the final solution strategies. In the course of solving each problem, students tried different strategi es. Enriched students alternated almost exclusively between verbal-log ical and visual solution methods, whereas regular students alternated equally between verbal-logical and visual solution methods or between verbal-logical strategies and trial and error.