2025 Volume 73 Issue 2 Pages 63-78
One of the factors contributing to difficulties in rule-based problem-solving is learners' use of incorrect rules. Prior research has suggested that the effectiveness of a strategy for correcting such mistakes depends on the strength of the incorrect rules. However, previous studies have identified incorrect rules based only on overall response trends, without considering cases in which individual learners do not clearly exhibit incorrect rules. The present study examined how the effectiveness of a confrontational strategy for correcting incorrect rules might vary, depending on prior response patterns. University students (N=46) participated in a teaching experiment. The data were analyzed quantitatively. Additionally, qualitative analysis, including interviews with four participants, was conducted in order to enhance the interpretation of the quantitative findings. The quantitative results suggested that learners who exhibited consistently incorrect pretest responses successfully applied the correct rule in the posttest, whereas those who had demonstrated individual judgment in the pretest reported facing difficulties in problem-solving. Furthermore, qualitative analysis suggested that the former group developed more confidence in the rules, whereas the latter focused on individual cases, which made it difficult for them to construct knowledge-linking examples and rules.
