The Roles of Arithmetic Fluency and Executive Functioning in Mathematical Problem-Solving
Kaskens, Jarise; Goei, Sui Lin; Van Luit, Johannes E. H.; Verhoeven, Ludo; Segers, Eliane
(2022) The Elementary School Journal, volume 123, issue 2, pp. 271 - 291
(Article)
Abstract
This study is conducted to further understand the direct and indirect contributions of executive functioning (visuo-spatial updating, verbal updating, inhibition, shifting) and arithmetic fluency to mathematical problem-solving in 458 fourth-grade students. Arithmetic fluency along with visuospatial and verbal updating were significant predictors of mathematical problem-solving at the end of grade
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4. When the growth in mathematical problem-solving during grade 4 was analyzed, only arithmetic fluency directly and strongly contributed to students’ problem-solving at the end of grade 4. Inhibition and shifting (in combination with inhibition) were indirectly connected to mathematical problem-solving at the end of grade 4 via their arithmetic fluency. Arithmetic fluency plays a critical role and continues to do this in mathematical problem-solving. Furthermore, a decline in importance for visuospatial and verbal updating and increasing importance of inhibition and shifting (com-bined with inhibition) were found with regard to stu-dents’ ability to solve mathematical problems during grade 4.
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Keywords: Ability, Attention, Children, Education, Inhibition, Predictors, Representation, School, Skills, Working-memory, Taverne, Education
ISSN: 0013-5984
Publisher: University of Chicago
Note: Funding Information: The authors declare no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, or publication of this article. This research was supported by a grant (023.077.055) from the NWO (Dutch Organisation for Scientific Research). No further financial support for the research, authorship, or publication of this article was received by the authors. Jarise Kaskens is a child psychologist, lecturer, and researcher at Windesheim University of Applied Sciences, the Netherlands. She has conducted her PhD research project at the Behavioural Science Institute of the Radboud University Nijmegen, the Netherlands. Her current projects include mathematics education, the use of dynamic math interviews for instructional purposes, and inclusive education; Sui Lin Goei holds two academic positions, one as a professor of inclusive teaching at Windesheim University of Applied Sciences, the Netherlands, and one as assistant professor at Vrije Univer-siteit Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Her expertise is practice-based research on the professional development of teachers and teacher educators for inclusive teaching; Johannes E. H. Van Luit is professor of dyscalculia at the Utrecht University, the Netherlands. He develops math tests and remedial mathematics teaching materials. His main research interests include weakly performing students and kindergarten education; Ludo Verhoeven is professor of communication, language, and literacy at Radboud University Nijmegen; Eliane Segers is professor of learning and technology at Radboud University with a specific interest in individual variation in learning and development. Jarise Kaskens (ORCID: 0000-0002-8216-2630), Sui Lin Goei (ORCID: 0000-0003-4676-4447), Johannes E. H. Van Luit (ORCID: 0000-0002-9614-5356), Ludo Verhoeven (ORCID: 0000-0002-5108-4705), and Eliane Segers (ORCID: 0000-0002-8616-6890). Correspondence may be sent to Jarise Kaskens at jmm.kaskens@windesheim.nl. Publisher Copyright: © 2022 The University of Chicago. All rights reserved.
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