Comparing research into mental calculation strategies in mathematics education and psychology

Abstract

This paper argues for the importance of re-examining theoretical assumptions in research into mental calculation strategies and strategic thinking in mathematics education. By contrasting research into strategic thinking in mathematics education with that in cognitive and developmental psychology, three areas are identified where important details of the model of strategic thinking are left unexplored in education research while being dealt with more thoroughly in the psychological literature. The areas identified are: the positing of innate processes; the nature of memory; and the relation between conscious and unconscious mental processes. The status and reliability of introspective reports on mental processes are discussed as an illustration of the potential of research in psychology to further inform mathematics education research in this area.