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Journal for Research in Mathematics Education
1987, Vol. 18, No. 5, 382-393
COMPREHENSION OF MATHEMATICAL
RELATIONSHIPS EXPRESSED IN GRAPHS
FRANCES R. CURCIO,
Queens College of the City University of New York
This study was supported by grants from the National Institute of Education (Grant
No. NIE-G-80-0093) and St. Francis College. It is based on the author's doctoral
dissertation, completed at New York University in 1981 under the direction of Ed-
ward M. Carroll. Thanks are due to M. Trika Smith-Burke and Robert G. Malgady,
New York University, and Stephen M. Kosslyn, Harvard University, for their com-
ments on an earlier version. Also, thanks to the anonymous reviewers for their
suggestions.
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383
SCHEMA-THEORETIC FRAMEWORK
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384 Graph Comprehension
METHOD
Subjects
The sample, restricted to native speakers of English, consisted of 204
fourth graders (101 boys and 103 girls) and 185 seventh graders (102 boys
and 83 girls) from four elementary schools, two junior high schools, and
one K-8 school located in a stable, middle-class community in 1 of the 32
New York City School Districts. Native English-speaking children were
selected so that inability with language would not be a confounding factor.
The superintendent and principals expressed interest and granted permis-
sion for the study to be conducted in their schools. As required by the public
schools, parents gave written consent for their children to participate in the
study.
Variables
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386 Graph Comprehension
Procedure
Data Analysis
Correlational and multiple regression analyses were computed by grade.
To avoid having the results confounded with other cognitive components
(S. M. Kosslyn, personal communication, 21 January 1981), second-order
partial correlations were computed to determine the unique contribution of
prior knowledge of topic, of mathematical content, and of graphical form
to graph comprehension, partialing out reading and mathematics achieve-
ment. First-order partial correlations of graph comprehension with reading
and mathematics achievement, controlling for mathematics and reading
achievement, respectively, were also computed. These coefficients can be
found in Curcio (1981a, 1981b).
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Frances R. Curcio 387
Table 1
Sample Items From the Prior Knowledge Inventory
100-
25-T
A B C D
5. Which repre
a. A
b. B
c. C
d. D
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3 8 8 Graph Comprehension
RESULTS
The means and standard deviations for raw-score data of the variables
by grade are reported in Table 2. As expected, the seventh graders, being
older and, in general, having had more experiences to build and expand a
knowledge base, outperformed the fourth graders on the researcher-de-
signed tests. Because different levels of the SRA Achievement Series (i.e.,
Levels D and F) were administered and raw scores used in the analysis, no
comments can be made to compare reading and mathematics achievement
across the grades.
Table 2
Means and Standard Deviations for All Variables by Grade
Grade 4 Grade 7
(n = 204) (n = 185)
Variable M SD M SD
Graph
Variables Topic Content Form comprehension
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Frances R. Curcio 389
Prediction of Compreh
The results of the reg
4 and Table 5 for Gr
mathematics achievemen
tasks, account for the g
sion. As Equations 2 and
accounted for by read
mathematics achievement.
Table 4
Regression Analysis With Graph Comprehension as the Dependent Variable,
Grade 4
Variables
Equation in equation R2 AR 2 df F
Table 5
Regression Analysis With Graph Comprehension as the Dependent Variable,
Grade 7
Variables
Equation in equation R2 AR 2 df F
1 1 .022 (1,183) 4.173*
2 1,2 .474 .452 (2,182) 81.951**
3 1,3 .478 .456 (2,182) 83.198**
4 1,2,3 .600 .578 (3,181) 90.311**
5 1,2,3,4 .608 .008 (4,180) 69.905**
6 1,2,3,5 .644 .044 (4,180) 81.564**
7 1,2,3,6 .604 .004 (4,180) 68.758**
8 1,2,3,4,5,6 .647 .047 (6,178) 54.359**
Note. Code for variables: 1 = sex; 2 = reading achievement; 3 = math
4 = topic; 5 = content; 6 = form.
* p < .05.
**p < .01.
When each of the three aspects of prior knowledge (topic, content, and
form) was entered (see Equations 5, 6, and 7 in Tables 4 and 5), although
the contribution to the variance was small, it was significant (p < .01) in
each case.
To determine the optimal linear combination of sex, reading and math-
ematics achievement, and prior knowledge of topic, of mathematical con-
tent, and of graphical form in predicting graph comprehension, the beta
weights for each grade were calculated (see Table 6). Predictors of graph
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390 Graph Comprehension
Table 6
Variables in the Graph Comprehension Regression Equations at
Grades 4 and 7
Grade 4 Grade 7
aBoys = 0; girls = 1.
*p < .05.
**p < .01.
Table 7
Zero-Order Partial Correlations for Grade 4 (n = 204) and Grade 7 (n = 185)
Reading Mathematics Graph
Variables Sexa Topic Content Form achievement achievement comprehension
Sexa - .00 .09 .00 .10 .09 .02
Topic .11 - .37** .53** .65** .55** .63**
Content .06 .54** - .48** .43** .52** .61*
Form .01 .45** .39** - .60** .58** .62**
Reading
achievement .16* .70** .50** .47** - .58** .70*
Mathematics
achievement .23* .46** .62** .40** .58** - .67*
Graph
comprehension .15* .57** .65** .44** .69** .69** -
Note. Entries above the diagonal are for Grade 4.
aBoys = 0; girls = 1.
*p < .05.
**p < .001.
DISCUSSION
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Frances R. Curcio 391
Callahan, L. G., & Glennon, V. J. (1975). Elementary school mathematics: A guide to current
research (4th ed.). Washington, DC: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Develop-
ment.
Curcio, F. R. (1981b). The effect of prior knowledge, reading and mathematics achievement,
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392 Graph Comprehension
Naslund, R. A., Thorpe, L. P., & Lefever, D. W. (1978). SRA Achievement Series. Chicago:
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Pearson, P. D., & Johnson, D. D. (1978). Teaching reading comprehension. New York: Holt,
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Smith-Burke, M. T. (Speaker). (1979, March 5). Comprehension as a constructive process
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Strickland, R. G. (1972). A study of the possibilities of graphs as a means of instruction in the
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Frances R. Curcio 393
AUTHOR
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