A scoping review of the structures of semantic word problems

Word problem-solving is central to mathematics education, yet the instructional role of semantic structures remains underexplored. These linguistic and conceptual features are common in assessments but inconsistently addressed in teaching. This study utilized a recognized scoping review framework from health and educational research to analyze 26 peer-reviewed articles, selected from an initial pool of 274 identified through Google Scholar. Studies were screened for relevance and coded using an a priori protocol. Most focused on elementary students, particularly those with learning disabilities, and used quantitative methods with solution accuracy as the primary outcome. Findings reveal strong connections between semantic structure and problem difficulty, student success, language proficiency, and intervention outcomes. Textbook analyses showed limited and uneven exposure to varied problem structures. Thematic synthesis identified seven key contributions, including strategy use, classification, and linguistic clarity. The review emphasizes the need for linguistically responsive instruction, greater semantic diversity in curricula, and further research into how semantic structures shape cognitive and instructional processes.