Individual variation in mathematical skills can be ascribed to differences in cognitive ability, but also to students’ emotional experiences of mathematics, such as enjoyment and anxiety. The... Show moreIndividual variation in mathematical skills can be ascribed to differences in cognitive ability, but also to students’ emotional experiences of mathematics, such as enjoyment and anxiety. The current study investigated how the interplay of working memory with math anxiety and enjoyment explains mathematical performance in primary school students. We also explored whether these relations differed with the type of math test and students’ age. Using mixed effect models, we reanalyzed data from 4471 Dutch primary school students (grades 2–6) who had completed two computerized working memory tasks, had filled out a questionnaire on math emotions, and had completed two math tests: story problems and speeded arithmetic. Findings showed that working memory, anxiety, and enjoyment were linear (but not curvilinear) predictors of performance on both tests, while some relations were stronger for the math (story)-problem-solving test. Higher math anxiety negatively impacted performance more strongly for students with stronger working memory skills, but only on the arithmetic test. No interaction between working memory and enjoyment was found. The relation between math anxiety and math performance increased with grade level, but no other age-related changes were found. Interpretations and recommendations focus on situated views on learning and emotion. Show less
Jolles, D.D.; Supekar, K.; Richardson, J.; Tenison, C.; Ashkenazi, S.; Rosenberg-Lee, M.; ... ; Menon, V. 2016
This thesis focuses on primary school students’ mathematical ability in the Netherlands. Starting with a systematic research synthesis of performance outcomes of different mathematics programs in... Show moreThis thesis focuses on primary school students’ mathematical ability in the Netherlands. Starting with a systematic research synthesis of performance outcomes of different mathematics programs in Chapter 1, the remaining Chapters 2 to 7 report the results of six empirical studies. These studies address the determinants of students’ ability in the domain of arithmetic (addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division). Moreover, they can be said to cross the border between the academic fields of substantive (educational and cognitive) psychology on the one hand, and psychometrics on the other. Chapters 2 and 3 report on the results of secondary analyses on data collected for CITO’s national mathematics assessment in grade six (12-year-olds) focusing on the strategies students used to solve the problems. Chapters 4 and 5 aimed to more systematically investigate the distinction between mental and written solution strategies for solving division problems. Finally, Chapters 6 and 7 address the role of realistic contexts in mathematics problems, both for students in early grades as well as in grade six. The data analyzed in the empirical studies are complex, requiring advanced psychometric modeling. It is argued that latent variable models incorporating explanatory variables are appropriate to analyze data on solution strategies and performance. Show less
This lecture explains the oriental origin of some of the mathematical methods which are still in daily use, namely the decimal number system and the sexagesimal number system (used in telling time... Show moreThis lecture explains the oriental origin of some of the mathematical methods which are still in daily use, namely the decimal number system and the sexagesimal number system (used in telling time and computing angles). The history and transmission of these number systems is illustrated by means of original documents from the Babylonian, Sanskrit and Islamic scientific traditions. Show less
