Chapter 2

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

Introduction

Solving mathematics word problems is an integral part of the mathematics

curriculum. According to (Mastropieri & Scruggs, 2007; Orton, 2004, Ng, Wong and

Fong, 2021), "word problem" refers to mathematical inquiries that are expressed in verbal

texts and require the solution of "real-life" situational situations using mathematical

calculations. (Cummins, Kintsch, Reusser, & Weimer, 1988; Fuchs, Fuchs, Compton,

Hamlett, & Wang, 2015; Hegarty, Mayer, & Monk, 1995; Jordan, Hanich, & Kaplan,

2003; Nortvedt, 2011; Vilenius-Tuohimaa, Aunola, & Nurmi, 2008; Wong & Ho,

2017,Ng, Wong & Fong, 2021), it is crucial for students to learn how to solve word

problems so they can practice their mathematical skills and apply logic and problem-

solving in real-world situations. Mathematical computation alone is insufficient for

solving word problems. Students must read the problem, understand the steps that must

be taken, and then use the appropriate mathematical operations to arrive at a solution.

Reading comprehension is widely established as a key determinant of student's word

problem solving because the process of solving words problems clearly entails

understanding written language.

Moreover (Hijada & Dela Cruz, 2022) said that the capacity of the learner to

answer mathematical word problems correctly utilizing a literal, inferential, and critical

interpretation of the text is known as their problem-solving ability. The key elements in
resolving mathematical word problems now require that these skills, which correspond to

comprehension level, be mastered.

For instance, in a problem statement like “Onyx has 15 apples. She gave 5 of

them to his two other siblings and gave 2 to his best friend. How many apples does Onyx

have now?” In order to solve the questions correctly, students need to be familiar with the

verbal and numerical information provided in the problem. This clearly emphasizes that

in solving word problems, students will not just rely on his ability to read to answer,

rather, students must incorporate their reading comprehension skills and problem-solving

skills as these two must go hand in hand in order to arrive at a more clear and precise

solution.

Reading Comprehension

One of the skills that the children will learn is reading. Students will learn things

they never knew before through reading. According to (Lems,2010) reading is an

interactive process that involves the reader's processing methods and background

information as well as the text. It implies that reading is an interactive process involving

the readers' prior knowledge and the text. Reading is still challenging for new readers

because they are still learning the definitions of words and the differences between new

English terminology. In the teaching and learning of English, reading is prioritized.

(Grabe & Stoller, 2011) defined reading as the skill of deriving meaning from

printed words and applying that knowledge appropriately. Reading, then, is the capacity

to derive knowledge and insight from previously read books or other materials. The most
important and helpful skill for people is reading. This skill is more crucial than verbal and

written communication.

According to (Clarke, Truelove, Hulme, & Snowling, 2013; Wong, 2011;

Almutairi,2018) for students to succeed in both their academic and personal lives, reading

comprehension skills are a necessity. Reading comprehension serves as the cornerstone

for grasping all academic material throughout students' academic life. As students

advance through the grades, the significance of reading comprehension grows

considerably in all academic areas. To successfully complete the educational

requirements at school and in the classroom, students, in particular, need reading

comprehension skills. For instance, when conducting research for assignments in many

academic disciplines, students are required to comprehend the material they are reading

from a variety of sources. Additionally, being able to comprehend what they are reading

enables students to locate essential material quickly, weed out irrelevant information

from the current issue, and pinpoint the crucial information to concentrate on.

Reading, according to (Marlina, 2019), is a task or cognitive process that looks for

different types of information through written or verbal communication. Reading can also

be thought of as a complicated activity that involves moving or employing the majority of

action is fragmentary, incorporates the reader using the notion of delusion, and is tied to

the reader's scheme through observing and remembering. Additionally, reading is an

activity or process that utilizes a variety of abilities to develop text-reading

comprehension in order to comprehend the readings' substance. Reading is therefore the

action of getting knowledge or a message that has been conveyed through writing by the
author. In this context, reading refers to comprehending the reading text in all of its

literal, interpretive, critical, and creative dimensions.

According to (Sari, 2016), reading is a method for obtaining information and

comprehending a few textual phrases. Most individuals will concur that reading without

understanding and meaning is not reading.

Students must also be able to comprehend, evaluate, and apply the knowledge

they have learned through reading in order to succeed academically. Additionally, in

order to comprehend and complete their academic assignments, students need reading

comprehension skills. However, students cannot complete all of that work without

reading comprehension abilities.

The Levels of Reading Comprehension skills

Heilman et.al (1981:246) identifies four reading comprehension levels: literal,

interpretative, critical, and creative.

Literal level. According to (Male and Trias,2019; Heilman et.al (1981:246), the

simplest level of reading is a literal one, which requires the reader to repeat the author's

clear messages. As a result, the reader's goal is to comprehend just the information that is

provided openly in the texts. The reader's ability to recollect facts, recognize the primary

idea and supporting details, and classify, outline, and summarize the information are all

signs that he has understood what has been written. To master literal reading, a reader

should also be able to access information, infer meaning from context clues, follow clear

instructions, follow a sequence, recognize the conclusion that is expressly stated, and
recognize relationships and organizational patterns that are explicitly expressed (such as

cause-effect and comparison and contrast).

According to (Heilman et.al 1981:246), the following skills apply to the literal

level: An understanding of word meanings; Recalling directly articulated concepts or

paraphrasing them in one's own words; Recognition of grammatical clues, such as the

subject, verb, pronoun, conjunction, and others; Recalling the clearly stated core idea;

Understanding the order in which the information is presented in the text.

Interpretative level. According to (Male and Trias,2019; Heilman et.al

(1981:246), reading that is interpretative (or inferential) focuses on the author's intentions

behind their statements. It asks the reader to dig deeper than the author's knowledge.

Inferential reading draws conclusions from the main idea, supporting details, sequence,

and cause and effect linkages, just like literal reading does. Interpretative reading, on the

other hand, calls on the reader to read between the lines and draw conclusions about

topics that are not explicitly expressed. Additionally, interpretative reading may entail

making inferences, forecasting outcomes, assessing the mood, and assessing the author's

point of view.

According to (Heilman et.al 1981:246), the following skills relate to the

interpretative level; Applying logic to the material given to determine the writer's tone,

objective, and attitude; Drawing conclusions about the text's implicitly conveyed core

concepts, comparisons, and cause-and-effect linkages; The following are some examples

of questions or phrases
 Critical level. According to (Male and Trias,2019; Heilman et.al (1981:246), the

reader must use some outside criteria from his or her own experience to evaluate and

judge the accuracy of the information, the quality of the writer's use of language, and the

writer's logic, generalizations, and simplifications. This is why critical reading is a high

level of comprehension. The reader must take note of the author's bias, credentials, point

of view, intent, and sincerity in order to do this. In other words, the reader should respond

to the texts both intellectually and emotionally.

According to (Heilman et.al 1981:246), the following skills relate to the critical

level; Reacting to facts in a text by explaining the reader's meaning; Examining and

assessing the written information's quality in light of a few standards.

Creative level. According to (Male and Trias,2019; Heilman et.al (1981:246), the

reader must actively engage with the information being offered as he uses it to develop or

reevaluate his own thoughts. Additionally, it involves reading for implication and

inference, positive and negative responses, and critical assessments. What will happen

next? is a question the reader keeps asking himself throughout the book.”, “Why? ",

"What would I do if I were put in this situation? How the character was feeling? "Have I

ever had that experience?”. The reader will be able to understand the indicated and

inferred meanings by learning the answers to these questions.

According to (Heilman et.al 1981:246), the following skills relate to the creative

level: Understanding how literary devices affect readers' emotions; Understanding of how

to react to shapes, styles, and structures;

 Simply put, (Sari, 2016) concluded that literal level means gathering data that is

directly stated. Making inferences at the interpretive level entails "reading between the

lines." At the critical level, textual material is evaluated. Formulating and reworking

ideas are part of the creative stage. It is clear from the description above that each level

calls for a unique set of skills or abilities. Higher expertise is needed for interpretive

levels than for literal levels, etc.

Problem Solving

(Jakhar,2019) stated that solving problems is a scenario for which an individual

lacks a ready-made answer, and anxiety arises in the mind whenever an individual

encounters a difficulty. To find a suitable answer, the person puts forth a lot of effort and

makes use of all of their skills, abilities, intelligence, thinking, imagination, etc. Few

people have the ability to solve problems more quickly than others. The ability to solve

problems refers to a person's capacity to observe, examine, and attempt to resolve the

underlying reasons of the current issue. The process of addressing problems involves a

special framework or pattern of ingenious thinking and reasoning.

(Jakhar, 2019) mentioned that unfulfilled desires cause a person to feel tension,

which motivates them to work hard and use their verbal and cognitive skills like

observation, prediction, and inference to overcome obstacles in their path to problem-

solving.

Furthermore, (Ulu, 2017) cited that problem solving is a challenging procedure

which needs a variety of skills. The following are the components of this process:

understanding the problem, selecting the necessary information from the data, turning
this information into mathematical symbols, and arriving at a solution through the

necessary operations.

There are five (5) steps that must be taken in order to solve mathematical word

problems. The following stages are illustrated by (Granberg, 2016): (1) reading the

problem, where students make notes on important words or translate the problem into a

more understandable language or sentence; (2) analyzing the problem, where students

determine what problems are known and being asked; (3) exploration, where students

start the process of forming new concepts / knowledge based on prior knowledge, prior

experience, and schema, and assess whether the prior knowledge is accurate (5). a

technique for validating solutions in which students act in accordance with the plan or

strategy they have chosen to address a problem.

Sex Difference in Problem-Solving Skills

According to (Zhu, 2007) sex difference in mathematics problem-solving, which

is believed to be one of the factors that resulted to the difference in the performance of

male and female students in problem solving, have received more consideration from

researchers in recent years.

Additionally, in the study of (Zhu, 2007), male students perform better in word

problem solving than that of female students.

According to (Astur, Purton, Zaniewski, Cimadevilla, and Markus ,2016), men

have a greater capacity for problem solving than women. The findings of (Astur, Purton,

Zaniewski, Cimadevilla, and Markus, 2016) were also confirmed by (Mefoh, Nwoke,

Chukwuorji, and Chijioke, 2017), who discovered that males had a considerable edge in
solving problems as opposed to women. On the other hand, (Sebastian, 2017) found that

while conceptual challenges in problem solving are not significantly different across male

and female students, male students exhibit more computational comprehension than

female students.

However, these findings were opposed in the study of (Cakir, 2017) which shows

female participants had a stronger aptitude for problem-solving than male participants.

Some studies states that sex of students may or may not have a relationship with

the performance of the students in problem-solving. (Jakhar, 2019) stated that there is no

significant difference in the performance of the male and female students. The study

shows that the male and female students possess the same problem-solving skills. (Ajai

and Imoko,2015) further explained that se factor in problem-solving is not significant.

However, these findings were in contrast to that of (Ajai & Imoko, 2015) which

stated that male and female students’ achievement in mathematics problem-solving are

not dependent on their sexes. The sex of the students is not a complete indicator of their

performance in problem-solving.

In the study of (Wüstenberg (2014), males outperformed females, because they

altered variables to a higher extent, more clearly demonstrating the influence of input

variables on output variables. There are several reasons why women's grasp of

mathematical concepts is not more profound than men's. It was reinforced by (Ileritürk &

Kincal, 2018), which said that when PISA 2003 and 2012 problem-solving results were

evaluated by gender, male students fared better than female students. However, the

difference between male and female students is not statistically significant.

Students’ Difficulties in Solving Mathematics Word Problem

There are previous studies that revealed the reasons why students struggle in

solving Mathematics word problem. Most of their findings focused on the inability of the

students to grasp and comprehend with the problem, resulting them to struggle in

accomplishing the given task.

In the study of (Jupri,2016), one of the reasons why many students struggle in

solving word problems is that students have difficulty understanding words, phrases, and

sentences as well as creating equations, schemas, and diagrams. These results point to a

deficiency in horizontal mathematization, particularly in terms of understanding problems

and creating mathematical models.

Moreover, (Siniguian, 2017) emphasized that the main difficulty experienced by

students in solving word problems is their inability to translate word problems into

mathematical equations and symbols and their inability to use correct mathematics.

(Kusuma & Retnawati, 2019) discussed in the study that there are four reasons

why students struggle in solving word problems. (1) Students have difficulty with word

problems, (2) Students have difficulty in understanding concepts (3) They have less

numeracy skills and lastly (4) Inaccuracy.

(Krulik & Rudnik, 1996) in the study of (Cruz & Lapinid, 2014), many students

have trouble understanding problems because they misunderstand words with various

meanings and ignore context. This problem typically occurred when problems were

presented in text.
 Furthermore, (Tambychik & Meerah, 2010) concluded in the study that students

that students had trouble answering mathematical problems because they were unable to

master various mathematic skills and lacked learning cognitive capabilities. The most

important mathematical abilities were discovered to be information skills. Even when

students learned other mathematical concepts, they were unable to comprehend and link

the information in the problems without the transfer of information competence.

In general, the majority of pupils did not fully master this skill. The effectiveness

of problem-solving is influenced by cognitive learning skills like the capacity for

memory, perception, and recall.

Additionally in the study of (Johnson, 2016), one of the reasons why students

have difficulty in solving word problems is associated with their class sectioning as most

of the excellent, average and honor students belong to section 1 while below and those

who have not meet the expectations belong to section 2. This is because of the difference

in the instruction implemented in the two different sections.

Moreover, in the study of (Hadi, Herman & Hasanah,2018) the inability of

students to solve mathematical problems is caused by a number of factors, including (1)

their inability to comprehend the key words of social arithmetic problems, (2) their

inability to develop a problem-solving strategy based on the problem at hand, (3) their

propensity to give up in the face of difficulty and error, (4) their dislike of reading

lengthy and ambiguous reading questions, (5) their carelessness in the calculation

process, and (6) their lack of academic motivation. Future study should concentrate more

on how students approach and approach mathematical difficulties.

 Generally speaking, there are many research findings concluded that in the

difficulty of the students in solving word problems, one main reason of it is poor reading

comprehension skills. When students have poor reading comprehension skills, it will

result to students’ inability to understand concepts, to translate word problems into

mathematical equations, most importantly, preventing them to solve word problems.

Synthesis

Reading is a tool in learning in other subjects, including mathematics. Reading

comprehension, in particular, is a crucial ability in understanding the mathematical

process. Several research have been done to evaluate the relationship between reading

comprehension and word problem-solving skills (Imam, 2013).

(Imam, 2013) discovered a connection between reading comprehension skills and

students' math performance, and their research demonstrated that students' weak reading

comprehension abilities are associated with their mathematics performance.

According to (Ng, Wong and Fong, 2021), students employ structural language

while developing solutions using higher-order comprehension monitoring to put the

information that was extracted together to formulate a plan for solving, skills to make

sense of the embedded information. The capacity to formulate a strategy (i.e., an

equation) does not ensure that the answer will be accurate. However, this capability is

undoubtedly a key mediator in explaining why students need to have strong reading

comprehension skills in order to answer Mathematics word problems.

Reading comprehension is important in many areas of mathematics study, but

word problem solving is one where it matters most. According to Yonson (2017), the
majority of students are still unable to solve word problems. There could be a variety of

reasons why students frequently struggled with word problems. One of these factors,

according to Johnson (2016), was the sectioning of students. The majority of the honor

students and average students were in section 1, while the majority of the homogenous

students in section 2 were below average and did not satisfy the expectations of the

program.

Similarly, according to (Hijada, & Dela Cruz, 2022), reading comprehension level

is not an indicator of the learners' solving skill and there are other factors that could affect

in solving mathematical word problems. Solving skill is independent on the

comprehension skills and the variables studied are not related. This was supported by

(Andamon & Tan, 2018), which findings resulted that other factors that will have an

effect on the performance of the students in problem-solving is their attitude towards

Mathematics. The higher the students’ attitude in Mathematics, the higher their

performance in Mathematics.

While reading comprehension is a major issue for math teachers, according to the

findings of the Philippine Executive Report on the TIMSS as cited by Yonson (2017), it

is unclear whether this is due to a lack of teaching strategies and activities or whether

students' comprehension of the mathematical problem itself. The researcher determined

that this research was important for the following reasons.