%0 Journal Article
%T Exploring mathematical discussion in word problem-solving
%A Percy Sepeng
%A Paul Webb
%J Pythagoras
%D 2012
%I AOSIS OpenJournals
%X This study explored whether discussion as a teaching strategy in mathematics classrooms could have positive gains in improving learners¡¯ problem-solving performance, as well as their ability to make sense of real wor(l)d problems. This article discusses the partial findings of a bigger study that used a pre-test intervention or post-test mixed-method design and utilised both quantitative and qualitative data. Analysis of the data generated from both pre-tests and post-tests suggests that the intervention strategy significantly improved the experimental group¡¯s problem-solving skills and sense-making performance. The statistical results illustrate that the experimental group performed significantly better than the comparison group in the post-test. The main finding of this study is that in classrooms of experimental schools in which discussion technique was successfully implemented, there was a statistically significant improvement in the learners¡¯ competence in solving word problems.
%K mathematical discussion
%K word problems
%U http://www.pythagoras.org.za/index.php/pythagoras/article/view/60