The effectiveness of keyword finding strategy on the components of reading comprehension and the choice of mathematical problem solving strategy in fifth grade students

This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of teaching the keyword identification strategy on fifth-grade elementary students' performance in solving mathematical word problems. The research employed an applied, quasi-experimental design using a one-group pretest–posttest approach. The statistical population consisted of fifth-grade students enrolled in the researcher's elementary school during the 2024–2025 academic year. A convenience sample of 29 students participated in the study. The educational intervention was implemented in six 45-minute sessions and emphasized meaningful rather than mechanical use of keyword identification through semantic analysis of word problems, identification of relevant information, and conscious selection of appropriate solution strategies. Data were collected using a researcher-developed Mathematical Problem Comprehension and Solution Strategy Test. Content validity was confirmed by a panel of experts, while internal consistency reliability was assessed using Cronbach's alpha coefficient. The overall reliability coefficient was 0.965, with alpha values of 0.883, 0.916, and 0.916 for the subscales of keyword identification, problem comprehension, and solution strategy selection, respectively. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 26. The Wilcoxon signed-rank test was employed to compare pretest and posttest scores, and effect sizes were calculated. The findings revealed statistically significant improvements in students' performance across all three components following the intervention (p < .001). The effect sizes for keyword identification, problem comprehension, and solution strategy selection were 0.629, 0.663, and 0.755, respectively, indicating large to very large educational effects. The findings suggest that explicit instruction in keyword identification, when integrated with semantic analysis rather than rote keyword matching, can serve as an effective cognitive strategy for improving elementary students' mathematical word-problem solving performance. Nevertheless, because the study employed a one-group design without a control group, causal interpretations should be made cautiously, and further research using more rigorous experimental designs is recommended.