Literature review abstract Background: Domain-general processes, such as working memory (WM), short-term memory (STM), and attention, have been found to be related to mathematical performance in children. The relationship between these abilities, however, is not well understood. Objective: This systematic review aimed to evaluate the literature investigating the relationship between mathematical performance and WM, STM, and attention in typically developing primary school aged children. Methods: Three databases were searched for studies published between January 1974 and February 2015 reporting associations between mathematics performance and at least one measure of WM, STM, and attention. Study selection was undertaken by applying inclusion and exclusion criteria and 43 studies were selected for inclusion. The methodological quality of the included studies was assessed using a validated checklist. Results: WM, STM, and attention were all significantly related to mathematics performance. Visuospatial STM and WM were strongly related to mathematics performance in younger children, while verbal STM and WM were more strongly related in older children; although some studies found the opposite pattern. The relationship between attention and mathematics performance increased in strength with age. Conclusions: There are many factors relevant to the relationship between mathematical performance and WM, STM, and attention which can affect the strength of the association, including the types of tasks used to measure the constructs, the confounding variables considered, and the age of the participants. Future research needs to focus on the construction of an integrated model of mathematical development.   Empirical paper abstract Background: Moderate to late preterm children (MLPT; born between 32 weeks and 36 weeks and 6 days) are at increased risk of developing cognitive difficulties compared to term children (born between 37 weeks and 41 weeks and 6 days). Mathematical attainment is an important area of academic development. Domain-general cognitive abilities, which constrain all learning, and domain-specific mathematical precursors are both important for mathematical development. Objectives: The current study had two aims: 1) to investigate the relationship between gestational age (GA), mathematical attainment, working memory (WM), short-term memory (STM), and attentional control; and 2) to investigate WM, STM, and attentional control as domain-general predictors of mathematical attainment. It was hypothesised that WM would predict additional variance in mathematical attainment after attentional control, STM, and demographic variables (intellectual ability (IQ) and socioeconomic status) were accounted for. Methods: A cross-sectional and correlational design was used to investigate the study aims. Participants were 34 MLPT children and 25 term children who were between 72 and 107 months at the time of the study. Children who weighed less than 1500 grams at birth, had cerebral palsy, epilepsy, severe hearing or vision loss, or had a diagnosed learning disability were excluded. Each participant completed a cognitive assessment which measured their mathematical attainment and components of WM, STM, and attentional control. Results: GA was only significantly correlated with IQ. In the model of mathematical attainment, GA also significantly moderated the relationship between attentional switching and mathematical attainment. The hypothesis regarding the role of WM in predicting mathematical attainment was partially supported as only verbal WM predicted significant additional variance in mathematical attainment. Attention behaviour and IQ also predicted significant additional variance in mathematical attainment. Conclusion: These findings suggest that birth weight greater than 1500g, higher socioeconomic status, and lower levels of co-morbid medical conditions may serve as protective factors against the potential negative consequences of MLPT birth. Findings regarding the domain-general predictors of mathematical attainment supported some previous findings and highlighted the need for a variety of tasks to be used to measure each domain-general ability. Longitudinal studies in MLPT children would be helpful for further understanding the role of GA and domain-general abilities in the development of mathematical attainment.

<p>Rubriken till detta arbete kommer från Matematikdelegationens betänkande, ”Att lyfta matematiken”. Utbildningsdepartementet fick i uppdrag att ta fram en handlingsplan som skulle syfta till att förändra synen på matematik och öka intresset för matematikämnet hos Sveriges elever. I betänkandet presenteras fyra huvudmål för matematiksatsningen: 1. Stöd och utveckla aktiviteter som ökar intresset för och insikterna om matematikens värde, roll och betydelse i vardag, yrkesliv, vetenskap och samhälle. 2. Utbilda kvalificerade lärare i matematik för alla barn, ungdomar och vuxna. 3. Stöd och samordna alla goda krafter som verkar för bättre lärande och undervisning i matematik. 4. Tydliggör och utveckla syfte, mål, innehåll och bedömning i matematik för hela utbildningssystemet. (SOU 2004:97, s.99) Mitt syfte med detta arbete har varit att undersöka om matematiken verkligen lyfter, har matematiksatsningen gett de önskade resultaten?</p><p>I detta arbete behandlas skolutveckling först ur ett mer generellt perspektiv för att därefter behandla matematikutvecklingen som en specifik del av skolans utvecklingsarbete. Matematik, som en del av skolutvecklingen, kan stöta på svårigheter som ibland kan vara generella för hela skolkulturen, men ibland även vara speciella för matematikämnet.</p><p>Med utgångspunkt från Matematikdelegationens fyra huvudmål synliggörs i arbetets resultat vissa av de möjligheter och svårigheter som utvecklingen av matematikundervisningen kan innebära. Av attitydundersökningens resultat kan även utläsas att flertalet lärare innehar ett stort intresse för matematik. Detta står i motsats till Matematikdelegationen, som istället skriver att många lärare har en negativ inställning till matematik.</p><p>Undersökningens resultat visar att många lärare efterfrågar fortbildning, före¬läsningar, studiecirklar och pedagogiska diskussioner inom skolämnet matematik. Brist på fortbildning visar sig även vara det näst största hindret till matematikutveckling när respondenterna själva får rangordna olika utvecklings¬hindrande faktorer. Enligt undersökningens resultat ses bristen på tid p.g.a. övriga arbetsuppgifter som inte innefattar undervisningstimmar som det största hindret för att utveckla matematik¬undervisningen.</p> / <p>The title of this study originates from the report of the Mathematics Delegation under the heading of " Enhancing the status of mathematics". The Ministry of Education was commissioned to produce a plan of action with the purpose to change the opinion about mathematics and to raise the interest in mathematics among Swedish pupils. In the report four main goals for the mathematic venture are presented: 1. Support and develop activities to increase interest in and provide greater insight into the value, role and significance of mathematics in everyday and working life, science and society. 2. Train qualified teachers in mathematics on all levels for all children, young people and adults. 3. Support and coordinate all the positive forces promoting better mathematics learning and teaching. 4. Clarify and develop aims, goals, content and assessment in mathematics for the entire education system (SOU 2004:97, p.30-33) My intention with this report has been to investigate if the status of mathematics really has been enhanced, has the mathematics venture resulted in its desired goal?<p>This report opens with a discussion around development of education seen from a general perspective. Development of mathematics will thereafter be handled as a specific part of the educational development. Mathematics development encounters difficulties that sometimes are common within educational culture as such, but sometimes unique for the subject.</p><p>With the Mathematics Delegation's four main goals as a starting-point, some opportunities and difficulties in development of Mathematics education are visualized. Replies to the questionnaire show that a majority of the teachers have a big interest in mathematics. This is quite the contrary of what is said by the Mathematics Delegation, where many teachers are said to have a negative view upon mathematics.</p><p>In this report it is shown that many teachers request further education, lectures, study circles and pedagogic discussions around the school subject mathematics. The shortage of further education is also identified as the second largest obstacle when the respondents rank obstacles for development. The results from the questionnaire pinpoints lack of time due to tasks outside actual teaching as the largest obstacle for development of mathematics education.</p></p>

Rubriken till detta arbete kommer från Matematikdelegationens betänkande, ”Att lyfta matematiken”. Utbildningsdepartementet fick i uppdrag att ta fram en handlingsplan som skulle syfta till att förändra synen på matematik och öka intresset för matematikämnet hos Sveriges elever. I betänkandet presenteras fyra huvudmål för matematiksatsningen: 1. Stöd och utveckla aktiviteter som ökar intresset för och insikterna om matematikens värde, roll och betydelse i vardag, yrkesliv, vetenskap och samhälle. 2. Utbilda kvalificerade lärare i matematik för alla barn, ungdomar och vuxna. 3. Stöd och samordna alla goda krafter som verkar för bättre lärande och undervisning i matematik. 4. Tydliggör och utveckla syfte, mål, innehåll och bedömning i matematik för hela utbildningssystemet. (SOU 2004:97, s.99) Mitt syfte med detta arbete har varit att undersöka om matematiken verkligen lyfter, har matematiksatsningen gett de önskade resultaten? I detta arbete behandlas skolutveckling först ur ett mer generellt perspektiv för att därefter behandla matematikutvecklingen som en specifik del av skolans utvecklingsarbete. Matematik, som en del av skolutvecklingen, kan stöta på svårigheter som ibland kan vara generella för hela skolkulturen, men ibland även vara speciella för matematikämnet. Med utgångspunkt från Matematikdelegationens fyra huvudmål synliggörs i arbetets resultat vissa av de möjligheter och svårigheter som utvecklingen av matematikundervisningen kan innebära. Av attitydundersökningens resultat kan även utläsas att flertalet lärare innehar ett stort intresse för matematik. Detta står i motsats till Matematikdelegationen, som istället skriver att många lärare har en negativ inställning till matematik. Undersökningens resultat visar att många lärare efterfrågar fortbildning, före¬läsningar, studiecirklar och pedagogiska diskussioner inom skolämnet matematik. Brist på fortbildning visar sig även vara det näst största hindret till matematikutveckling när respondenterna själva får rangordna olika utvecklings¬hindrande faktorer. Enligt undersökningens resultat ses bristen på tid p.g.a. övriga arbetsuppgifter som inte innefattar undervisningstimmar som det största hindret för att utveckla matematik¬undervisningen. / The title of this study originates from the report of the Mathematics Delegation under the heading of " Enhancing the status of mathematics". The Ministry of Education was commissioned to produce a plan of action with the purpose to change the opinion about mathematics and to raise the interest in mathematics among Swedish pupils. In the report four main goals for the mathematic venture are presented: 1. Support and develop activities to increase interest in and provide greater insight into the value, role and significance of mathematics in everyday and working life, science and society. 2. Train qualified teachers in mathematics on all levels for all children, young people and adults. 3. Support and coordinate all the positive forces promoting better mathematics learning and teaching. 4. Clarify and develop aims, goals, content and assessment in mathematics for the entire education system (SOU 2004:97, p.30-33) My intention with this report has been to investigate if the status of mathematics really has been enhanced, has the mathematics venture resulted in its desired goal?This report opens with a discussion around development of education seen from a general perspective. Development of mathematics will thereafter be handled as a specific part of the educational development. Mathematics development encounters difficulties that sometimes are common within educational culture as such, but sometimes unique for the subject. With the Mathematics Delegation's four main goals as a starting-point, some opportunities and difficulties in development of Mathematics education are visualized. Replies to the questionnaire show that a majority of the teachers have a big interest in mathematics. This is quite the contrary of what is said by the Mathematics Delegation, where many teachers are said to have a negative view upon mathematics. In this report it is shown that many teachers request further education, lectures, study circles and pedagogic discussions around the school subject mathematics. The shortage of further education is also identified as the second largest obstacle when the respondents rank obstacles for development. The results from the questionnaire pinpoints lack of time due to tasks outside actual teaching as the largest obstacle for development of mathematics education.

Tanken med detta arbete är att ta reda på förskolebarns kunskaper om taluppfattning med fokus på antal. Studien genomfördes i en förskola i Mellansverige med 15 barn från 3-5 år för att se skillnaden i taluppfattning mellan dessa åldersgrupper men även mellan jämnåriga. Vidare ville jag genom observation ta reda på vilka aktiviteter som görs i förskolan för att kunna utveckla barnens förståelse och tänkandet inom taluppfattning. Resultatet av intervjun visar att barnen har stor förmåga och förståelse kring klassificering och sortering oavsett ålder. Men 14 av de 15 barnen förstod inte antalskonservation. Observationen visar att klassificering och sortering ingår i aktiviteter som barnen brukar göra varje dag medan antalskonservation inte uppmärksammas. Denna studie hjälper förskollärare att ta reda på barnens taluppfattning för att utifrån det anpassa aktiviteter efter barnens förmåga och göra lärandet intressant och lustfyllt.

abstract: This study investigated the role of broad cognitive processes in the development of mathematics skills among children and adolescents. The participants for this study were a subsample of a nationally representative sample used in the standardization of the Woodcock-Johnson III Tests of Cognitive Abilities and the Woodcock-Johnson III Tests of Achievement, Normative Update (Woodcock, McGrew, & Mather, 2007). Participants were between 5 years old and 18 years old (N = 4721; mean of 10.98 years, median of 10.00 years, standard deviation of 3.48 years), and were 50.7% male and 49.3% female. Structural equation models supported the theoretical suggestion that broad cognitive processes play significant and specific roles in the development of mathematical skills among children and adolescents. Implications for school psychology researchers and practitioners are discussed. / Dissertation/Thesis / Ph.D. Educational Psychology 2012

During our studies to becom special teachers in mathematics development, we have developed an interest in students who show resistance to the subject of matehmatics or mathematics teaching. The purpose of the study is to investigate teaching that promotes learning for pupils in mathematics anxiety, to distinguish any challenges that the teachers might encounter in teaching and to make visible future collaboration between the teachers and the special education teachers to support learning for pupils with mathematics anxiety. This has been done through semi-structured interviews and observations of primary and middle school teachers. The method used was inspired by grounded theory. The results were analyzed using sociocultural theory. The entire study rests on a relational perspective, which sees the student in difficulties and not with difficulties. The conclusion drawn from the study was that the teachers agreed with research in the field about which teaching methods are beneficial for students in mathematics anxiety. They also agreed with the research about the challenges that can arise in working with these students. Several different examples of collaboration between the teachers and the special education teachers emerged during the interviews. However, several challenges were identified which prevent teachers from implementing these methods in everyday teaching. A challenge in this may, for example, be that the special teachers in mathematics development are few in the schools. Another challenge can be that the teachers request pedagogical guidance where didactic issues can be raised, but that forum is missing in many schools.

No description available.

本研究採用分層叢集抽樣，從台北市十二行政區中，按比例抽出36所學校。受試者含1-9年級學生合計5475人，有效樣本4917人達89.8%。自編測驗信度、效度考驗：α係數達.80，效標關連效度在.21到.70之間，與智力測驗之相關在各年級均達.01顯著水準，專家效度良好。研究發現包括二部份： 一、邏輯概念之發展：有關台北市立國民中小學學生邏輯概念發展狀況研究結果如次 (1) 形式運思階段之前，兒童可以解答部份的命題邏輯問題。 (2) 具體內容的ＭＰ規則和常見的遞移性關係的遞移推理，分別在國小一年級、及國小四年級已達到發展高原。 (3) 從具體運思到形式運思階段，並沒有發現階段性跳躍的成長現象，邏輯概念發展大致上是向上發展的型態。 (4) 二元運算系統在8,9年級(14、15歲左右)--也就是皮亞傑所指的形式運思階段達到平衡的時期，只能做大約18%?32%的題目，沒有證據顯示大部份的受試者，已經完成了具有「群與格」特徵的命題邏輯結構。本研究的假設一、假設二均未獲得支持。皮亞傑理論對學生的邏輯概念發展有低估和高估的現象。一方面低估了國小中低年級兒童在簡單邏輯規則的發展，另一方面高估了青少年在困難的邏輯規則上所能達到的成就。 二、邏輯概念與數學之相關性：在邏輯與數學的相關性研究方面獲得以下結論： (1) 邏輯成績與數學成績的相關在各年級學生中，均達.0001顯著水準。大部份年級數學成績與智力的相關，大於數學成績與邏輯概念的相關。 (2) 年級對邏輯概念的影響效果顯著，當控制智力高低及數學成就好壞二個因素之後，邏輯概念隨年級而增進。 (3) 數學成就對邏輯概念的影響效果顯著，對各年級學生而言，高數學成就組學生的邏輯概念比其他二組好。但數學成就中等和低等的二組受試者之間，當智力的百分等級在35?56之間時，邏輯概念沒有差異。 (4) 變異數分析顯示，以年級、數學成就與智力的線性模式，可以解釋邏輯概念所有變異量中的63%。共變異數分析顯示，排除智力的影響之後，年級、數學成就仍是可以解釋邏輯概念所有變異量中的63%，與變異數分析結果一致。

Aufgrund der Vorhersagekraft früher mathematischer Kompetenzen für spätere Schulleistungen beschäftigt sich die Forschung mit der Identifikation möglicher Einflussfaktoren der mathematischen Kompetenzentwicklung von Kindern vor Schuleintritt. Da der Großteil der drei- bis sechsjährigen Kinder in Deutschland eine Kindertagesstätte besucht, ist in diesem Zusammenhang die pädagogische Qualität frühkindlicher Bildungseinrichtungen in den Fokus gerückt. Einen wichtigen Aspekt dieser Qualität stellen frühpädagogische Fachkräfte dar. Sie werden als Interaktionspartner:innen von Kindern als potenzieller Einflussfaktor hinsichtlich deren mathematischer Kompetenzentwicklung betrachtet. Im Rahmen der Forschung zur professionellen Kompetenz frühpädagogischer Fachkräfte in Mathematik setzt man sich mit der Frage auseinander, welche Merkmale eine kompetente Fachkraft auszeichnen und inwiefern diese die mathematische Kompetenzentwicklung von Kindern beeinflussen. Während in den letzten Jahren vermehrt die Entwicklung sowie das Zusammenspiel einzelner Facetten professioneller Kompetenz frühpädagogischer Fachkräfte untersucht worden sind, werden Kinder bislang kaum in wissenschaftliche Studien einbezogen. Die vorliegende Dissertation schließt diese Forschungslücke und untersucht die Vorhersagekraft der Kompetenzfacetten Dispositionen und Performanz im Hinblick auf die mathematische Kompetenzentwicklung von Kindern. Damit dies möglich ist, wird im Rahmen der vorliegenden Arbeit ein Beobachtungsinstrument zum Erfassen der Performanz frühpädagogischer Fachkräfte entwickelt. Die Ergebnisse zeigen, dass sich die Performanz mithilfe des entwickelten Beobachtungsinstruments zuverlässig erfassen lässt. Weiterhin sagt die Performanz die mathematische Kompetenzentwicklung von Kindern voraus, während dies für die erhobenen Dispositionen nicht gilt. Für den nationalen Forschungsraum handelt es sich hierbei um die ersten beziehungsweise einige der wenigen evidenzbasierten Forschungsergebnisse. / Due to the predictive power of early mathematical skills for later academic achievement, research has been addressing the identification of potential factors influencing children's mathematical development prior to school entry. Since the majority of three- to six-year-old children in Germany attends pre¬schools, the pedagogical quality of early childhood and care institutions has come into focus. One important aspect of pedagogical quality are early childhood educators. They are regarded as a potential influencing factor for children’s mathematical development. Therefore, research on professional competence of early childhood educators in mathematics delves into identifying the characteristics which distinguish competent early childhood educators and how these characteristics may potentially influence children’s mathematical development. While the development and interplay between different facets of professional competence have been a major concern of research in recent years, children have hardly been included in scientific studies. This dissertation closes this research gap and examines the predictive power of dispositions and performance, both which are facets of professional competence, for children’s mathematical development. In order to achieve this, an observation instrument assessing early childhood educators’ performance has been developed. The results show that early childhood teachers’ performance can be measured reliably using the developed observation instrument. Furthermore, performance predicts children’s mathematical development while this is not the case for early childhood teachers’ dispositions. Within the national research context, these results are among the first evidence-based research findings that outline the relationship between distinct facets of early child¬hood educators’ professional competence and children’s mathematical development.