Math Competence Research Articles

Cognitive Processes and Their Relation to Word Reading, Comprehension, and Math Competence in A Sample of School Children Who Live in Poverty

Cognitive Processes and Their Relation to Word Reading, Comprehension, and Math Competence in A Sample of School Children Who Live in Poverty

Math Anxiety and Poor Math Competence: A Longitudinal Investigation of Students Failing to Achieve the Math Skills Required by School Curricula

ABSTRACT Mathematics anxiety (MA) has emerged as a significant concern in recent years, recognized for its potential to interfere with learning processes. Our study delved into exploring the relationship between the presence and level of MA and the ability to acquire math skills required by the school curriculum. For this purpose, secondary school students were monitored during their first year of study. A questionnaire designed to assess MA and a math skills assessment test were administered on two separate occasions: initially at the end of the first term and subsequently at the conclusion of the second term. The results of the end-of-year tests indicated that students with high levels of MA, assessed at the beginning of the school year, showed a significantly greater risk of failing to achieve the required competence. These findings seem to support the notion that a high level of MA can significantly contribute to hindering the acquisition of educational outcomes.

REMEDIAL PRACTICES AND STUDENTS COMPETENCES IN MATHEMATICS IN PUBLIC SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN RWANDA A CASE OF GICUMBI DISTRICT

Background: Mathematics plays a crucial role in both vocational success (Jetter, 2017) and everyday life (Umameh, 2011), yet many students face challenges in mastering it. Globally, educational equity remains a priority, with persistent disparities in math education, especially among low-SES students (UNESCO, OECD). Tanzania and Rwanda are actively addressing these challenges to enhance educational outcomes. Materials and Methods: This descriptive survey study involved 171 participants from 32 secondary schools in Gicumbi District: 105 mathematics instructors, 50 subject leaders, 35 head teachers, and 110 students. Data collection employed random sampling, with Slovenes method used to select the study sample. SPSS version 21.0 facilitated analysis, encompassing descriptive statistics (frequency, percentage, mean, standard deviation) and inferential statistics (correlation, regression coefficients). Results and Discussions: Findings revealed strong consensus among respondents on the efficacy of modifying instructional methods (80.0%), using personalized learning materials (63.1%), integrating visual and auditory resources (60.0%), and creating tailored exercises (68.0%) to improve math competencies. Key indicators such as problem-solving (64.3%), method application (96.6%), reasoning (92.3%), and mathematical representation (92.3%) demonstrated significant improvements. Enhanced physical facilities also correlated positively with student outcomes, underscoring the role of supportive environments in fostering mathematical competence. Conclusion: The study emphasizes the effectiveness of adapting teaching methods and environments to enhance students math skills. Customized approaches, including personalized materials and multimedia integration, proved instrumental in improving competencies like problem-solving and reasoning. Statistical analyses consistently supported these findings, highlighting the importance of personalized and diversified teaching strategies in enhancing math education in Gicumbi, Rwanda.

Similarity or stereotypes? An investigation of how exemplar gender guides children's math learning.

How does the representation of boy and girl exemplars in curricular materials affect students' learning? We tested two competing hypotheses about the impact of gender exemplar on learning: First, in line with Social Learning Theory, children might exhibit a same-gender bias such that they prefer to learn from exemplars that match their gender (H1). Second, consistent with research on children's stereotypes about gender and math (e.g., associating boys with math competence), children might prefer to learn from exemplars who match their stereotypes about who is good at math (H2). We tested these hypotheses with children in middle school (N=166), a time of development in which stereotypes are well-engrained, but before gender differences in math achievement appear. Children viewed two distinct math strategies, each presented by a boy or girl exemplar. We then examined which strategy children employed on a subsequent math test as well as their perceived similarity to the exemplars and their awareness or endorsement of gender-math stereotypes. Children did not preferentially learn from same-gender exemplars. However, children with stereotypes associating boys with math were more likely to learn the more difficult strategy when it was presented by a boy exemplar than children who did not associate boys with math. The results of this study provide valuable insight into how children's stereotypes impact their real-world learning. RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS: How does the representation of boy and girl exemplars in children's curricular materials affect their learning? Past research demonstrates that children prefer to learn from same-gender exemplars, but also hold a stereotype that boys are better at math. In the current study, we test whether children preferentially adopt a math strategy presented by a boy or girl exemplar. Children who held the belief that boys are better at math were more likely to learn a difficult strategy from boy exemplars than children who did not endorse this stereotype.

Parents’ attitudes towards helping children learn math: how do they matter for early math competence?

Parents’ attitudes towards helping children learn math: how do they matter for early math competence?

Data Analytics in Engineering Education: Lessons Learned from a Canadian Engineering School

We extended our earlier student data analytics work [1] to further analysis of 10 years of 11,000+ engineering undergraduates’ academic records in the Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering at the University of Toronto to uncover underlying factors impacting students’ academic performance upon graduation. We explored the potential of using supervised and non-supervised machine learning algorithms to select the key features that strongly correlate with the identified students’ academic performance. K-means clustering method was used to study math competency on academic performance and the findings indicate factors other than math can significantly influence student performance. We also applied Association Rule to study life-long learning attributes based on the completion of minors and certificates. From the results, we noticed that technical minors choices correlated strongly with specific core engineering programs and there are also marked differences in terms of gender, legal status and Professional Engineering Year/COOP completion. Various visualization graphical methods including Heatmap, Pie Char, Sanky Diagrams were applied to aid the analysis. The power of data analysis enables a better understanding of our engineering students’ experiences and informs evidence-based decision-making in our school.

General and Stereotype-Based Microaggressions Experienced by Asians and Asian Americans in the Workplace: A Qualitative Study

The purpose of this study was to uncover the racial microaggressions that Asians and Asian Americans experience in the workplace. Qualitative interviews and focus groups were conducted with 19 Asian and Asian American men and women, representing a variety of Asian ethnicities, with work experience in various industries. Results revealed seven themes of workplace racial microaggressions: (a) Invalidation of Individual Differences, (b) Unrecognized Contributions and Undervalued Employee, (c) Being Singled Out, (d) Demeaning Cultural Values and Communication Styles, (e) Ascription of Subservience, (f) Ascription of Diligence, and (g) Ascription of Math Competency. These seven themes were classified into two broader categories. The first four themes were classified into general microaggressions, which embodied microaggressions experienced by Asians but could also be experienced by other people of color. The last three themes were classified into stereotype-based microaggressions, which embodied how Asians were treated differently through the lens of stereotypes that others held of Asians. Although, Ascription of Math Competency and Ascription of Diligence may be seen as positive, these microaggressions yielded more assigned math-related work rather than the employee’s preferences and longer working hours, respectively. The effect of these microaggressions rendered Asian employees as visible in terms of their race, whereas invisible in terms of their professional contributions. Implications of these findings for improving experiences of Asians in the workplace are discussed.

Prospects of equitable and sustainable seaweed aquaculture: a case study of changing gender and socio-economic relations in Maullín, Chile

This article examines the development of marine tenure in the Maullín River, Chile. It starts with the emergence of artisanal red algae (Gracilaria chilensis) gathering and the changes resulting from the governmental ad hoc allocation of small-scale aquaculture concessions. We aim to track this transition, its drivers, effects on the work organization, gender relations, market relations and the sustainability/equity challenges currently confronting the community. We use a feminist political ecology approach to direct our multi-method data collection strategy and to analyse the empirical material. The State by enabling local tenure for the development of marine aquaculture concessions played an influential role in Maullín community attaining de facto territorial tenure. This led to the establishment of residential aquaculture communities while facilitating the integration of women in aquaculture activities. We see both steps as positive economic and social development opportunities in Maullín. While marine tenure has provided livelihood chances, low prices caused by the producers’ disadvantaged market position and the lack of supportive alliance building pose ongoing problems. We conclude that these factors are serious challenges to the sustainability of aquacultural livelihoods at Maullín River. While the case depicts aspects of women’s empowerment such as their engagement in developing potential post-production innovation ideas, entrepreneurial abilities to conduct market transactions as well as their better competence in literacy, math and financial expertise, there is still a long way to reach gender equality in the male-dominated aquacultural sector.

How emotions are related to competence beliefs during mathematical problem solving: Differences between boys and girls

This study, grounded in Control Value Theory, aimed at increasing insight into how the emotions of enjoyment and anxiety shape students' situated math competence beliefs. Additionally, we investigated gender differences in these effects. An online survey including mathematical problems with corresponding competence belief ratings, and questionnaires regarding math-related emotions was filled out by 866 ninth-grade students. Ordinal mixed effects modelling revealed that after correcting for actual performance, emotions contributed (modestly) to students' competence beliefs: enjoyment was positively related to competence and anxiety had a negative relation. The strength of these relations was not affected by gender, but boys did report higher situated math competence beliefs than girls, despite a lack of gender difference in actual performance. Boys also showed higher math enjoyment and lower anxiety than girls. Our findings underline the need for interventions that improve girls' attitude towards mathematics and refute the math gender stereotype. Educational relevance and implications statementIn this study we investigated factors related to ninth-grade students' situated competence beliefs in math. We found that first and foremost actual performance predicted competence beliefs, showing students' metacognitive abilities. But we also found that the emotions of math enjoyment and math anxiety affected these beliefs, and that boys held higher competence beliefs than girls, while their math performance did not differ. This suggests that a situated intervention, aimed at showing girls at the item level how often their answers are correct and stimulating them to hold positive beliefs could boost their confidence in their STEM abilities, and possibly enhance their motivation to pursue a STEM career.

NCS 수리능력 영역의 대수 문장제 해결 과정에서 나타난 오류 분석에 관한 연구

Objectives The purpose of this study is to analyze errors that arise during the problem-solving process of alge-braic word problems in the mathematical reasoning domain of NCS(National Competency Standards) for speci-alized high school students and to explore instructional strategies to address these errors.
 Methods A test consisting of six items was administered to 70 students attending specialized high schools lo-cated in medium city. After conducting the test using the questionnaire, the response sheets were analyzed by error type. Additionally, in-depth interviews were conducted with five participants, and the content of these inter-views was recorded, transcribed, and analyzed.
 Results Many students in specialized high schools experienced difficulties in solving algebraic word problems in the NCS mathematical competency domain. The types of errors observed during the problem-solving process in-cluded errors in skipping solution steps, difficulties arising from mathematical language, errors in problem com-prehension, and errors stemming from inadequate mastery of prerequisite skills, facts, and concepts.
 Conclusions To address significant errors in solving algebraic word problems, it is crucial to focus on algebraic translation, fundamental computational skills, acquiring prerequisite knowledge, and systematic problem-solving writing. Instruction should be centered around vocational foundational abilities, particularly emphasizing algebraic word problems within the context of vocational math competency assessment. Moreover, it is necessary to in-corporate algebraic word problems into the mathematical application domain of specialized high school vocational foundational assessments and develop and implement an education curriculum tailored to the specialized voca-tional context, preparing students for the NCS mathematical ability assessment.

Opportunities to develop student’s math-related agency in primary education: the role of teacher beliefs

Teacher beliefs and practices related to them could provide varying opportunities for students to develop their agency related to learning math. The aim of the current paper is to explore how different math teacher beliefs (concerning the nature of mathematics, constructivist beliefs, and self-efficacy) relate to different dimensions of student agency in primary education. A two-level multilevel model was analyzed to find out to what extent selected teacher beliefs are associated with student math competence and agency dimensions. The study was conducted in Estonia and data from 3rd and 4th grade students (N = 1557) and their teachers (N = 121) was included in the analysis. The results showed that teacher self-efficacy beliefs, constructivist beliefs, and static views on the nature of mathematics were related to students’ agency dimensions. Possible explanations and directions for further studies are discussed.

Promoting Effective Math Learning with Educational Robots

Mathematics is a key subject for building competencies of the future. Managing students’ attitude towards learning mathematics is an important challenge in the Romanian educational system. Thus, it is essential to bring new teaching practices into the class in order to reduce math anxiety, increase motivation and successfully develop students’ cognitive skills. Due to the increasing importance of technology in our lives, using educational robotics may be an effective strategy to meet those demands. The aim of the present study was to design and test 5 educational robots-based scenarios for teaching math competencies, as logical, spatial and computational thinking, in primary school setting. More specifically, we describe the scenarios for robot-supported teaching, the competencies aimed to be developed and the process of testing their effectiveness in class. Main challenges and further recommendations in promoting math learning with educational robots for primary school children are also discussed.

Measuring Mathematical Competence of Grade 3 Students in New General Curriculum: A Case of Vietnam

The general education curriculum promulgated by the Vietnamese Ministry of Education and Training in 2018 has identified 10 common competencies that need to be formed and developed for students in the coming period, including computing capacity. The Math general education curriculum issued in 2018 helps students form and develop mathematical competence (the most concentrated expression of computing capacity) including the following core elements: mathematical thinking and reasoning; mathematical modeling; mathematical problem solving; mathematical communication; use mathematical learning tools and media. The aim of this study was to design an assessment framework for mathematical competence. From the Grade 3 Math curriculum, the research team has proposed a math competency standard with 90 items. From these 90 items, design 6 illustrative test questions. Each test consists of 30 questions, between which there are 15 fixed questions designed to measure students’ mathematical competence. A sample of 383 students in grade 3 were recruited for the study with the participation of 3 researchers and 5 elementary school teachers. A mathematical competence framework and six tests with anchor items were designed to measure students’ mathematical competence. The results of analysis using an approach to item response theory showed that the items had good fits with the model and they could be used to describe mathematical competence learning progression with different levels of proficiency. The tests were reliable and valid, and the anchor items were good for connecting students’ mathematical competence.

Direct and moderating impacts of the CARE mindfulness-based professional learning program for teachers on children’s academic and social-emotional outcomes

Mindfulness based interventions (MBIs) for teachers can improve classroom interactions, teacher mindfulness, and well-being, yet whether teacher focused MBIs also benefit children remains largely unexplored. This cluster randomized trial with 36 urban elementary schools, 224 K-5th grade teachers (M age = 41.5) and 5200 children (M age = 7.7 years, tested direct and moderated effects of the Cultivating Awareness and Resilience in Education (CARE) professional development program on eight child academic and social emotional outcomes, most teacher-reported. Positive effects of CARE were found for engagement in learning, motivation for learning, and reading competence. CARE was unexpectedly related to increased conflict. CARE teachers initially low in mindfulness reported children as higher on engagement, motivation, reading competence, and math competence compared to children of control group teachers low in mindfulness. Unexpectedly, CARE teachers high in mindfulness at baseline reported children as lower in social skills compared to high mindfulness teachers in the control condition.

Investigating Hispanic Preservice Teachers’ Mathematics Anxiety, Attitudes, and Self-Efficacy

Math anxiety plagues students and teachers and may cause reduced math competency, avoidance of math courses, and physiological symptoms. This study investigated Hispanic pre-service teachers’ math anxiety, self-efficacy, and coping strategies. Previous research found that math-anxious teachers may promote the same feelings in their students and choose less effective teaching strategies. Therefore, we wanted to identify the incidence of anxiety in our Hispanic teacher candidate population while identifying potential differences from previous studies. Very few past investigations looked at this population exclusively and findings from other populations may not apply to our candidates and teachers. We collected data using a digital survey instrument and found math anxiety correlated with low self-efficacy and poor attitudes toward mathematics. Quizzes and exams, statistics, and probability caused the most anxiety among our participants. The most common way participants coped with their anxiety was to study more, followed by mindfulness and test-taking strategies. Based on our findings, math anxiety is quite common among Hispanic teacher candidates and should be studied further since many used coping strategies that did not appear to help even though they have shown promise in previous studies.

Comparing dropout intentions of math students on trainee teacher courses versus bachelor of science courses using intensive longitudinal data

In the past, high dropout rates of university math students have been recurrently observed, causing psychological and economic costs for individuals and society. In this article, we draw on prospective, intensive longitudinal data (ILD) collected at a large German university to examine the effects of stable inter-individual differences (e.g., general math competencies) and intra-individual changes (e.g., motivational states) on the intention to drop out of math studies, an important precursor for actual dropout. Given the ongoing discussion on whether student teachers differ from other types of students in their characteristics (e.g., with respect to cognitive abilities), we were particularly interested in differences in dropout intentions between first-year math B.Sc. and B.Ed. students, who attend the same introductory lectures. Using recent residual dynamic structural equation modeling techniques (RDSEM) we find that dropout intentions of math students in their first semester depend on both baseline characteristics and motivational changeable states which occur during the course. Furthermore, it is shown that B.Sc. and B.Ed. students differ regarding their intra-individual effects and have different trajectories of dropout intentions over time such that they cannot be assumed to be a homogeneous group. The results suggest that the two groups require differential treatment concerning the prevention of early dropouts.

Chinese parents’ support of preschoolers’ mathematical development

Research has documented the critical role played by the early home environment in children’s mathematical development in Western contexts. Yet little is known about how Chinese parents support their preschoolers’ development of math skills. The Chinese context is of particular interest because Chinese children outperform their Western counterparts in math, even early in development. The current study sought to fill this gap by examining a sample of 90 families of 4- and 5-year-olds from mainland China. Parental support—as measured by the frequency of parent–child engagement in home activities as well as parent number talk—and parents’ role in children’s numeracy skills were investigated. Results indicate wide variation among parents in both types of support. Frequency of engagement in formal numeracy activities, including counting objects and reading number story books, was related to children’s knowledge of cardinality. A principal components analysis did not identify informal numeracy activities as a distinct home activity component, likely due to the infrequent occurrences of game-like numeracy activities among the Chinese families. Instead, a structured activity component emerged (e.g., playing musical instruments) and was positively related to children’s arithmetic skills. Diversity, but not quantity, of parent number talk was related to children’s symbolic magnitude understanding. The distinctive relationships between specific parental measures and child outcomes speak to the need for nuanced identification of home environment factors that are beneficial to particular math competencies. The findings also suggest cultural variations in the mechanisms that support children’s mathematical development, highlighting the merits of investigating this topic in non-Western contexts.

Stereotypes about mathematics and women: sex differences in mathematics anxiety of communication students

Citizens are required to understand an increasingly datafied reality to perform sensible decision making and be active participants in society. However, our ability to grasp that complexity, especially when it involves data in the form of numbers, is affected by limiting factors such as mathematics anxiety. In the case of women, how they face the reading of content based on data or numbers affects their daily lives, including career choice. Playing a central mediating role in transmitting increasingly datafied information, journalism is an interesting research object. This study examines the notion that journalism students –especially female students– are «bad with numbers» through the measurement of math anxiety of 185 Communication students, looking for correlations with their math competency. Results show that students manifest a low competency in math, paired with high math anxiety, which is the factor that best serves as an explanation for competency results. Specifically, only students with medium-low values of math anxiety pass the competency test. However, no sex differences were found in competency, while small differences in math anxiety (with women displaying slightly higher anxiety values than men) were identified. Even if the minor sex differences in math anxiety found in this study are not statistically significant, investigating whether this is also the case in other fields or in a random sample remains relevant, as these results defy previous misunderstandings of women’s capacities that are significant to understand the interactions of women with data.

No Loss, No Gain? COVID-19 school closures and Swiss fifth-graders' competencies and self-concept in mathematics

Abstract: COVID-19-related school closures in spring 2020 interrupted learning routines and posed a great challenge for students' competencies acquisition and self-concepts. Concerns about possible learning losses due to school closures, especially for disadvantaged students, are justified, but the currently available empirical evidence is still scarce, varies greatly with regard to context, and neglects reciprocal effects of competencies and self-concept. To address these shortcomings, this paper first provides insights on the effect that the 8 weeks of school closures had on Swiss primary school students' math competencies. IRT-based math tests were used to cross-sectionally compare data from 1,299 students in Grade 5 in late spring 2020 shortly after the reopening of schools with data from a previous year's cohort ( n = 11,314) using propensity score matching. The results revealed no significant differences in math competencies and no evidence of an increase in inequality when children with not German (vs German) as their first language were studied. Second, changes in math self-concepts in the school year 2019/20, when the pandemic first hit, as well as reciprocal effects of math competencies and math self-concept were assessed longitudinally ( n = 1,299) using random intercept cross-lagged panel models based on three measurement points. Results showed that higher math self-concept and positive change in math self-concept over the time of school closures were related to higher learning gains. Different development trajectories for children with German (vs not German) first language emerged. The study therefore fosters a better understanding of the effect that pandemic-induced school closures had on learning and relativizes the feared negative effects on math competencies caused by short school closures.

Effects of a brief self-affirmation writing intervention among 7th graders in Germany: Testing for variations by heritage group, discrimination experiences and classroom diversity climate

We tested whether a brief self-affirmation writing intervention protected against identity-threats (i.e., stereotyping and discrimination) for adolescents’ school-related adjustment. The longitudinal study followed 639 adolescents in Germany (65% of immigrant descent, 50% female, Mage = 12.35 years, SDage = .69) from 7th grade (pre-intervention at T1, five to six months post-intervention at T2) to the end of 8th grade (one-year follow-up at T3). We tested for direct and moderated (by heritage group, discrimination, classroom cultural diversity climate) effects using regression and latent change models. The self-affirmation intervention did not promote grades or math competence. However, in the short-term and for adolescents of immigrant descent, the intervention prevented a downward trajectory in mastery reactions to academic challenges for those experiencing greater discrimination. Further, it protected against a decline in behavioral school engagement for those in positive classroom cultural diversity climates. In the long-term and for all adolescents, the intervention lessened an upward trajectory in disruptive behavior. Overall, the self-affirmation intervention benefited some aspects of school-related adjustment for adolescents of immigrant and non-immigrant descent. The intervention context is important, with classroom cultural diversity climate acting as a psychological affordance enhancing affirmation effects. Our study supports the ongoing call for theorizing and empirically testing student and context heterogeneity to better understand for whom and under which conditions this intervention may work.