Instructional strategies to facilitate third-order analogical reasoning ability
Abstract
This study examined the effectiveness of three training interventions aimed at developing analogic problem-solving ability: (a) an intervention involving direct instruction in problem solving using a single pair of analogous problems; (b) an intervention involving direct instruction in both problem-solving strategies and mapping correspondences with respect to a single pair of analogous problems; and (c) an intervention involving direct instruction in both problem-solving strategies and mapping correspondences with respect to two pairs of analogous problems. It was anticipated that all three of these interventions would be significantly more effective than a control condition, that the interventions utilizing instruction in mapping would be more effective than the intervention not using instruction in mapping, and that the intervention involving direct instruction in mapping on two pairs of analogous problems would be more effective than that involving direct instruction on one pair of analogous problems. Effectiveness was measured in terms of problem-solving success and the use of specific problem-solving strategies on a transfer task. The results indicated no significant differences among any of the treatment groups or between the treatment and control groups on problem-solving success. However, there were differences in strategy use. The group receiving a single training example involving direct instruction in problem-solving strategies and training in mapping were more likely than controls to recognize that the source domain is helpful in solving the target problem, and more likely to recognize that the two stories had similar goals. The group receiving two training examples involving training in problem-solving strategies and mapping were more likely than controls to recognize similarity of solutions and to develop similar problem-solving plans. Results were interpreted as indicating that training in mapping correspondences is valuable. However, a single training example for such instruction may be as effective as multiple examples.
Subject Area
Educational psychology|Literacy|Reading instruction|Teacher education
Recommended Citation
Cohen, Sharon Lynn, "Instructional strategies to facilitate third-order analogical reasoning ability" (1994). ETD Collection for Fordham University. AAI9511230.
https://research.library.fordham.edu/dissertations/AAI9511230
