Might this be titled as: "Why Students Hate <i>Word Problems</i>?"<p>The OP's argument is that common word problems in high-school textbooks are very contrived and that it problems made to be less contrived and more like what a student might expect to experience they might have more success in keeping their interest.<p>I'm not so sure of this conclusion. Making examples that aren't contrived but still illustrative and simple enough to retain their didactic value is <i>very</i> difficult, especially if you are attempting to make it relatable to teenagers.