How children change their minds: Strategy change can be gradual or abrupt

This study investigated patterns of change in children's strategies for sol ving mathematical equivalence problems. The strategies children expressed i n speech and in gesture were assessed both before and after an instructiona l intervention. In the intervention, children received either no input, acc uracy feedback, or feedback plus instruction about a principle, an analogy, or a procedure. From pretest to posttest, many children changed both the v ariability of their strategy use and the content of their strategy repertoi res. Patterns of change depended on type of instruction and on children's i nitial level of variability. Children who received instruction were especia lly likely to generate new strategies, and children with high variability w ere especially likely to abandon prior strategies. Gradual change was most common; however, many children modified their repertoires abruptly. Abrupt strategy change was especially prevalent among children who received proced ure-based instruction and among children with low initial variability.