Analyzing arithmetic word problem solving performance in middle school students

In this article, we study the performance of students in early sixth and seventh grade in a wide range of arithmetic or logical problems. By means of socio-demographic indexes and tests measuring abilities that are either general (language, short-term memory, etc.) or specifically related to the numerical domain, we try to identify the variables with or without a significant contribution to the problem solving scores and to determine their relative weights. The sample consists of 269 middle school students (129 in the 6th and 140 in the 7th year), enrolled in public or private schools, selected to reflect a diversity of social and geographical contexts. The results of a multiple hierarchical regression highlight the importance at this level of specifically mathematical knowledge more than that of general abilities or demographic dimensions.