Procesos de análisis para resolver problemas de razonamiento cuantitativo: Un estudio de respuestas de estudiantes

Abstract

This work presents a descriptive, cross-sectional, qualitative study of the problem-solving procedures used by a group of first-year university students in response to a specific set of quantitative reasoning (QR) problems. The aim of the research is to analyze the students’ responses to the problems posed in order to assess their quantitative reasoning performance and determine if it matches the expected construct, according to which QR problems are associated with the analysis processes necessary for their resolution (namely, generalization, exemplification and validation). The sample for the study consisted of a group of 20 first-year university students (mean age 19.85 ± 0.81 years). The data were obtained from a single data collection from each subject in the form of a cognitive interview during the completion of a university admissions test comprising eight QR problems. Prior to testing, the problems were assessed by experts and associated with a series of analysis processes and procedures (analysis categories) necessary for their resolution. The think-aloud protocol analysis of the interviews revealed that the procedures associated with each analysis process coincided in most instances with the processes and procedures predicted by the experts. The findings of the study offer valuable insights for QR assessment test developers.