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This article explores how differences in problem representations change both the per-formance and underlying cognitive processes of beginning algebra students engaged in quantitative reasoning. Contrary to beliefs held by practitioners and researchers in mathematics education, students were more successful solving simple algebra story problems than solving mathematically equivalent equations. Contrary to some views of situated cognition, this result is not simply a consequence of situated world knowl-edge facilitating problem-solving performance, but rather a consequence of student difficulties with comprehending the formal symbolic representation of quantitative relations. We draw on analyses of students ’ strategies and errors as the basis for a cognitive process explanation of when, why, and how differences in problem repre-sentation affect problem solving. We conclude that differences in external represen-tations can affect performance and learning when one representation is easier to com-prehend than another or when one representation elicits more reliable and meaningful solution strategies than another. A commonly held belief about story problems at both the arithmetic and algebra levels is that they are notoriously difficult for students. Support for this belief can be seen among a variety of populations including the general public, textbook au-
Koedinger et al. (Thu,) studied this question.