This Article Full Text (PDF) References Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Saved Citations Download to citation manager Request Permissions Request Reprints Add to My Marked Citations Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Citing Articles via Scopus Google Scholar Articles by Newman, R. S. Articles by Schwager, M. T. Search for Related Content Social Bookmarking                         What's this?

Students’ Help Seeking During Problem Solving: Effects of Grade, Goal, and Prior Achievement

University of California, Riverside

We investigated the types of help that students request while solving math problems under the tutelage of an adult. One hundred eighteen third and sixth graders, classified as high, medium, and low math achievers and working under one of two academic goal conditions (i.e., either learning or performance goals), were asked to solve inductive reasoning problems. Students were encouraged to request whatever information they felt they needed. We found that sixth graders, in comparison with third graders, were more likely to ask for process-related hints and less likely simply to ask for the answer or express a vague lack of understanding. Students given learning goals, in comparison with those given performance goals, were more likely to request confirmation of an answer and less likely to show maladaptive patterns of questioning. Performance goals had a strong, detrimental effect on the number of problems that low achievers solved. Relations among goals, prior math achievement, help seeking, and problem-solving performance were examined.

American Educational Research Journal, Vol. 32, No. 2, 352-376 (1995)
DOI: 10.3102/00028312032002352


CiteULike    Complore    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    Twitter    What's this?

This article has been cited by other articles:

				O. L. Liu Evaluation of a Learning Strategies Scale for Middle School Students Journal of Psychoeducational Assessment, August 1, 2009; 27(4): 312 - 322. [Abstract] [PDF]

				A. Wigfield, J. S. Eccles, and D. Rodriguez Chapter 3: The Development of Children's Motivation in School Contexts Review of Research in Education, January 1, 1998; 23(1): 73 - 118. [PDF]