Comparing cognitive and emotional-motivational interventions to enhance word problem-solving skills in primary school: A randomized controlled study

Despite increasing evidence of the impact of emotional-motivational (EM) factors on word problem-solving performance, most research has primarily examined the effectiveness of intensive cognitive-based interventions to enhance this skill. This study aimed to compare the effects of two novel, nonintensive word problem-solving interventions on typically developing third to fifth graders. The first targets the cognitive components (CCs) of problem-solving (e.g., text comprehension, problem representation, planning, and metacognition) and the second focuses on EM factors, specifically math anxiety. A total of 442 children (Mage = 8.71 years, SD = 0.84) were assigned to one of three conditions: CC intervention, EM intervention, or a business-as-usual control group. Each intervention consisted of eight 50-min sessions. Pre- and postintervention assessments measured word problem-solving ability, problem representation skills, and math anxiety. Multilevel modeling, accounting for classroom-level effects, showed that the CC intervention led to significant improvements in word problemsolving performance, problem representation skills, and reductions in math anxiety compared to the control group. The EM intervention effectively reduced math anxiety but did not significantly enhance word problem-solving performance or problem representation skills. Additionally, there was no significant difference between the CC and EM interventions in terms of reducing math anxiety. These findings highlight the greater efficacy of CC interventions to improve word problem-solving abilities and emphasize the need to integrate structured cognitive strategies into classroom instruction to promote problem-solving skills.