The effects of problem representation on problem solving performance

Abstract

Problem representation is considered to be an important tool in understanding and improving problem solving performance. A major implication emerging from studies on problem solving performance is the higher performance levels observed among students who can successfully represent a given problem. The present study examines performance differences among sixth grade students as they try to represent a given set of problems that require the use of external representations for successful solution. The study also questions how differences in problem representation level (poor, average, and good) may contribute to students' understanding and subsequent problem solving performance following instruction on a topic that invests on the use of external representations including Venn diagrams.The results imply that differences in the representation levels of the students can affect problem solving performance and this effect is particularly unfavorable for poor representers in the long run.