STRATEGIES IN MATHEMATICAL PROBLEM-SOLVING

The effects of different strategies on the problem-solving performance of junior high school algebra students were investigated. In the first experiment, students were instructed to solve problems using various directions of search. The efficiency of these strategies depended on the number of steps in the problem solution, the number of possible blind alleys, and memory load requirements. In the second experiment, procedures for identifying and responding to blind alleys were taught. Their effectiveness depended on the solver’s direction-of-search strategy. Problem difficulty and strategy efficiency depend not only on the formal structure of the problem solution, but also upon the amount of search and memory load required. © 1979 Taylor & Francis.