Investigating the Effectiveness of an Analogical Reasoning Intervention for Improving Children’s Quantitative Reasoning and Mathematical Problem Solving Skills

This thesis investigates the effectiveness of an analogical reasoning based intervention in improving children's quantitative reasoning and mathematical problem solving skills.

It is presented in four parts

1. an introduction to the thesis as a whole
2. a systematic literature review
3. empirical paper
4. critical appraisal

The literature review investigates the evidence for the use of metacognitive strategy to improve mathematical skills such as mathematical reasoning and word problem solving in primary school children to ascertain their usefulness as an intervention in schools.

Eleven papers were reviewed and each of the studies report significant results in relation to improving mathematical skills such as mathematical reasoning and word problem solving following intervention.

The empirical paper investigates the impact of an analogical reasoning based intervention on children's quantitative reasoning and mathematical problem solving skills.

The results suggest that there was a statistically significant positive increase in quantitative reasoning and a positive though non-statistically significant impact on mathematical problem solving in the intervention group from pre testing to post testing.

However there was a non-significant difference in the mean change scores of the intervention group and the control group in quantitative reasoning and mathematical problem solving. The possible reasons for these findings are discussed.

The final part of the thesis consists of a critical appraisal. The strengths and limitations of the empirical paper, recommendations for future research and the contribution made by the study to the field are discussed in detail.

The section concludes with an examination of the overall developments of the research and a personal reflection on this process.