Development in mastering of rational number concepts and rational number operations: the role of gender, cognitive style and intellectual skills

Abstract

In this study we report data on the role played by cognitive factors in mathematics learning. A total of 54 Italian seventh‐grade students were tested to determine their cognitive characteristics, intellectual development and cognitive style. These variables, together with the students’ gender, were correlated to the score results in two multiple‐choice tests on rational number concepts (RNC) and rational number operations (RNO). While the cognitive factors were correlated both to RNC and RNO, gender seemed to have a limited significance on the RNO scores only. The possible implications of these results for mathematics teaching are discussed.