The study of difficult vocabulary in mathematics tasks : a framework and a literature review

• The purpose of this study is to contribute to the methodology of research on difficult vocabulary in mathematics tasks. The contribution consists of a framework for the study of difficult vocabulary in mathematics tasks and a literature review of empirical research in the area. The framework includes five main aspects of word difficulty that have been examined in empirical studies and discuss these in the light of theories on reading comprehension. In addition, methodological issues are presented in relation to each main aspect. The literature review examines both methodological aspects of 36 reviewed articles, and synthesizes results on difficult vocabulary. The literature review shows that a commonly used method—to study several word aspects together—is very unfortunate from the perspective of building accumulative knowledge about difficult vocabulary in mathematics tasks. The only well-supported conclusion possible to draw from the synthesis of results from the empirical studies, is that some word aspects are not related to task difficulty.

Ämnesord

SAMHÄLLSVETENSKAP  -- Utbildningsvetenskap -- Didaktik (hsv//swe)

SOCIAL SCIENCES  -- Educational Sciences -- Didactics (hsv//eng)

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Matematik (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Mathematics (hsv//eng)

Nyckelord

Review

vocabulary

difficult

task text

matematikdidaktik

didactics of mathematics

Publikations- och innehållstyp

vet (ämneskategori)

ovr (ämneskategori)