Children's Mathematical Understanding Research Articles

Pengaruh Pendekatan Permainan dalam Kartu Pinmat Math Hero terhadap Pemahaman Matematika di Tingkat Sekolah Dasar

This qualitative research investigates the use of the Math Hero Flashcards in elementary school children's mathematics education. Math Hero Flashcards are specially designed learning tools aimed at enhancing mathematical understanding, accuracy, and mastery of arithmetic operations for numbers 1-10 through interactive games. The study involves direct observation, interviews, and interactive play with children with the aim of understanding the effects of Math Hero Flashcards on children's mathematical understanding, learning motivation, and interest. The results of the research indicate that the use of Math Hero Flashcards enhances elementary school children's mathematical understanding, fosters motivation for learning, and creates a more enjoyable learning experience. However, some interview participants mentioned that they had found alternatives in the form of math game apps on their phones. Therefore, this research underscores the need for integration between physical learning tools like Math Hero Flashcards and learning technology to achieve holistic and engaging mathematics education for children.

Parental Involvement in Children's Mathematics Learning Before and During the Period of the COVID-19

The pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has led to sudden and unexpected circumstances in education for all the involved people (pupils, teachers, education policymakers, parents). International organizations have paid attention to their responses in crises by using alternative modes of teaching. The typical teaching methods had to be replaced by e-learning processes and all the participants needed to adjust themselves and adapt innovative methods. Most studies concentrated on teachers' and students' difficulties, barriers and new challenges. However, a different role was given to parents as well, especially in the case of primary and the first grades of secondary education, as they were asked to facilitate their children to use the e-learning processes and support them during the learning process. The present study examined the change of parental involvement during the pandemic in comparison to the previous situation in the case of mathematical subject. A questionnaire was constructed and administered to parents from Cyprus at the first days of the school year 2019-2020 in order to examine their beliefs and self-efficacy beliefs about their parental role and involvement during homework at their children's mathematical understanding and the development of their children's perseverance strategies during mathematical problem solving. The same questionnaire was administered to them at the end of the e-learning teaching processes in May 2020, after they had alternative experiences in order to identify any differences at their respective beliefs. Only the sample of parents who took part at both phases of the study was used for the comparative analyses. Results indicated that parents, especially in primary education, had the willingness to support their children's learning under the different teaching and learning processes; however they needed training in order to develop appropriate knowledge, relevant experiences, positive beliefs and self-efficacy beliefs.

The contribution of logical reasoning to the learning of mathematics in primary school

It has often been claimed that children's mathematical understanding is based on their ability to reason logically, but there is no good evidence for this causal link. We tested the causal hypothesis about logic and mathematical development in two related studies. In a longitudinal study, we showed that (a) 6‐year‐old children's logical abilities and their working memory predict mathematical achievement 16 months later; and (b) logical scores continued to predict mathematical levels after controls for working memory, whereas working memory scores failed to predict the same measure after controls for differences in logical ability. In our second study, we trained a group of children in logical reasoning and found that they made more progress in mathematics than a control group who were not given this training. These studies establish a causal link between logical reasoning and mathematical learning. Much of children's mathematical knowledge is based on their understanding of its underlying logic.

The Influence of Sharing on Children's Initial Concept of Division

We report three studies that investigate young children's ability to solve partitive division problems when presented with a concrete model of a problem. In the studies, 5- to 8-year-olds were given problems about sharing “sweets” between dolls, and the sweets were grouped in one of two different ways. When the sweets were grouped by the divisor, the number of groups coincided with the number of dolls (divisor) and the number in each group was the answer (quotient). When the sweets were grouped by the quotient, the reverse was true. In all three experiments, children found it much easier to solve the problems in the Grouping-by-Divisor condition than in the Grouping-by-Quotient condition (although there was some evidence of a developmental improvement in the tasks). It is suggested that the Grouping-by-Divisor condition is easier because it coincides with the end point of sharing. The findings are discussed with reference to schemas of action in children's mathematical understanding.

Societal differences and their influences on children's mathematics understanding

England and Taiwan are two societies in which the languages, the rationales of education, the teaching orientations and the learning motivations in school are very different. Would such differences influence children's mathematical understanding? This problem will be my main concern in this paper.

Venn diagrams strengthen children's mathematical understanding

Venn diagraming provides an except ional method of understanding some arithmetic problems that cannot be easily interpreted by traditional mathematical processes. Venn diagrams contribute to a child's ability to see relationships and to interpret data. It helps him construct a model which gives him fuller perception and ability to analyze problem situations.