Exploring Elementary Students’ Mathematical Connection Ability Through Story Problem Solving: A Qualitative Insight Into Learning Challenges in Early Grade Classrooms

Abstract

Background: Difficulties in early grade mathematics often arise when students are unable to recognize how mathematical ideas relate to one another or to situations expressed through language. These challenges become particularly visible when they encounter story problems, where they must interpret verbal information, construct meaning, and organize strategies based on conceptual connections rather than memorized procedures. Such learning difficulties point to the need for closer examination of how young learners form cognitive links within classroom interaction.

Aims: This study examines the mathematical connection ability of third-grade students by identifying how they relate concepts, representations, and contextual information while solving story problems.

Method: A qualitative descriptive approach was employed with six students selected to represent high, medium, and low levels of problem-solving proficiency. Data were collected through written tasks, classroom observations, and individual interviews, then analyzed using Miles and Huberman’s framework to trace how students connected mathematical ideas across established indicators.

Results: Students with high problem-solving proficiency demonstrated the ability to coordinate multiple representations and recognize relationships among mathematical concepts. Those in the medium group formed only partial connections, while students in the low group consistently struggled to link verbal information with mathematical structures, indicating limited conceptual grounding.

Conclusion: The findings underscore the importance of instructional practices that encourage learners to articulate reasoning, negotiate meaning, and relate mathematical language to familiar contexts. Classrooms that rely heavily on memorization tend to restrict students’ opportunities to develop deeper conceptual connections. Strengthening these connections requires deliberate teacher scaffolding, frequent exposure to contextual problems, and learning activities that invite students to build meaning through exploration and guided discourse. Such conditions are essential for reducing early learning difficulties and supporting more meaningful engagement with mathematics.