In this paper we report the results of an experiment designed to test the hypothesis that when faced with a question involving the inverse direction of a reversible mathematical process, students solve a multiple-choice version by verifying the answers presented to them by the direct method, not by undertaking the actual inverse calculation. Participants responded to an online test containing equivalent multiple-choice and constructed-response items in two reversible algebraic techniques: factor/expand and solve/verify. The findings supported this hypothesis: Overall scores were higher in the multiple-choice condition compared to the constructed-response condition, but this advantage was significantly greater for items concerning the inverse direction of reversible processes compared to those involving direct processes.
CITATION STYLE
Sangwin, C. J., & Jones, I. (2017). Asymmetry in student achievement on multiple-choice and constructed-response items in reversible mathematics processes. Educational Studies in Mathematics, 94(2), 205–222. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10649-016-9725-4
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