Solving Double and Multiple Proportion Problems in the Final Years of Elementary School

Resumo

Background: Many studies analysed solutions to simple proportionality problems, but few focused on double and multiple proportionality. Objectives: Analysis of students’ solutions to double and multiple proportionality problems. Design: Quantitative and qualitative analyses of empirical data. Setting and participants: Ninety students in grades 7 to 9 in Recife, Brazil. Data collection and analysis: Participants solved, in writing, double and multiple proportionality problems and orally explained their solutions. The analysis considers performance and solution strategies. Results: Percentage of correct answers per problem and school grade ranged from 67 to 97%, with no significant differences between types of problems or grades. Partipants used scalar, functional, and mixed strategies, with higher frequency of scalar strategies for double and of functional strategies for multiple proportionality problems. Conclusions: Double and multiple proportionality problems were equally accessible. Correct answers associated with the mixed strategy suggests that students considered multiple relationships in problems’ statements.