The effects of conceptual model-based problem-solving on mathematics performance of at-risk students

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of the Conceptual Model-Based Problem Solving (COMPS) intervention strategy on word-problem solving performance of Chinese students with learning disabilities or difficulties in mathematics (LDM). The COMPS intervention has demonstrated its effectiveness in helping students with LDM in the United States and other countries such as Spain. The present study extends this research to Chinese students with LDM and explores its effects on word problem-solving. The study employed an adapted multiple-baseline across participants design and included three 3rd-graders with LDM. The results showed that all participants improved their performance in solving targeted word problems, generalized the skill to solve problems with irrelevant information and multiple steps, and were able to pose problems based on given information and context. The findings of this study extend the existing evidence of the COMPS in supporting mathematical learning of students with LDM.