Lo. Lembke et Bj. Reys, THE DEVELOPMENT OF, AND INTERACTION BETWEEN, INTUITIVE AND SCHOOL-TAUGHT IDEAS ABOUT PERCENT, Journal for research in mathematics education, 25(3), 1994, pp. 237-259
The objective of this study was to determine how students' strategies
for solving percent problems change over grades 5, 7, 9, and 11. The q
uestions addressed included the following: What intuitive knowledge do
students bring to the study of percent? Do students use this intuitiv
e knowledge in solving percent problems? What processes do students us
e to solve percent problems? Does choice of solution method differ aft
er formal instruction on percent? The researcher employed a cross-sect
ional research design whereby 31 students representing two ability lev
els (middle and high) from grades 5, 7, 9, and 11 were interviewed. Th
e responses were compared and contrasted by ability and grade level. T
he 5th and 7th graders, who had little or no formal instruction on per
cent, used a variety of strategies including benchmark, ratios, and fr
actions, to solve percent problems. The 9th graders made extensive use
of the school-taught equation strategy. The 11 th graders, who had be
en away from formal instruction on percent for at least a year, also u
sed the equation strategy extensively, but also employed a variety of
other strategies and were more reflective in their choice of strategy.