RUME 28
2026
Alexandria, Virginia
Exploring the Relationship Between Language and two Problem Types
Page: 1289
Problems are an important component of mathematics education. Exploring the language used within problems allows us to investigate typical ways we pose mathematical problems – that might help us infer what information is (and is not) conveyed by the specific verb stem (e.g., imperative) used in a problem. Building on a conceptualization of two common mathematical problem types, SOLVE and EVALUATE (Author(s), 2025), this poster reports findings from a K-16 textbook analysis that aimed to identify linguistic features associated with each type of problem. Results include a list of specific verb stems associated with each problem type, as well as verb stems that may have been either. Other linguistic features, such as two-verb structures or plurality, may also differentiate the two. These results inform various ways we might clarify the nature of a mathematical problem by choices around the language we choose to use in posing it.