| 1. |
- Elofsson, Jessica
(författare)
-
Children’s early mathematics learning and development : Number game interventions and number line estimations
- 2017
-
Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Children’s early mathematics learning and development have become a topic of increasing interest over the past decade since early mathematical knowledge and skills have been shown to be a strong predictor of later mathematics performance. Understanding how children develop mathematical knowledge and skills and how they can be supported in their early learning could thus prove to be a vital component in promoting learning of more formal mathematics.In light of the above, with this thesis I sought to contribute to an increased understanding of children’s early mathematics learning and development by examining effects of playing different number games on children’s number knowledge and skills, and by investigating children’s representations of numbers on number line tasks.Two number game intervention studies were performed, and effects of three different number game conditions (linear number, circular number and nonlinear number) were investigated by examining 5- and 6-year-old children’s pre- and posttest performance on different numerical tasks. The findings indicate that playing number games in general support children’s development of number knowledge and skills, where the specific learning outcomes are affected differently depending on the type of number game utilized.To elucidate children’s representations of numbers, their performance on two different umber line tasks have been analyzed using a latent class modeling approach. The results reveal that there is a heterogeneity in 5- and 6-year-old children’s number line estimations and subgroups of children showing different estimation patterns were distinguished. In addition, it is shown that children’s number line estimations can be associated to their number knowledge as well as to task specific aspects.The findings presented in this thesis contribute to the discussion of the value of selecting game activities in a conscious way to support children’s early mathematics learning and development. They also add to the discussion regarding the number line task and how children’s number line estimations can be analyzed and interpreted.
|
|
| 2. |
- Skagenholt, Mikael, 1992-
(författare)
-
Neurocognitive Foundations of Child and Adult Number Processing : Neural Correlates and Functional Circuits Across Typical Development
- 2022
-
Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The ability to mentally represent the exact numerosity of up to four perceived objects, as well as approximately estimating differences in numerical magnitude, appears to constitute a core-cognitive number sense. Symbolic representations of number (e.g., “two” and “2”) have been argued to gain meaning through a mapping against the analog nonsymbolic numerical magnitude representation (e.g., ••). Alternatively, symbolic number processing abilities may develop independently of nonsymbolic numerical cognition, instead dependent on learning the order and content of the verbal count-list (i.e., 1, 2, 3, …). This thesis aimed to determine which of these proposals best correspond to the brain’s processing of numerical information, with implications for the development of mathematics curricula.Four neuroimaging studies provide biomarkers for typical numerical cognition. Results indicate that symbolic numbers increasingly acquire semantic reference from other symbols; nonsymbolic quantities are processed in an asemantic visuospatial manner; neural correlates reach adult-level maturity at 11 years of age; numerical order and magnitude recruit independent mechanisms; and that maturation of executive functions and lexico-semantics is key for symbolic number processing. These results support the view of increasingly independent mechanisms for symbolic and nonsymbolic numerical cognition across development.
|
|
| 3. |
- Olsson, Linda, 1986-
(författare)
-
“Count on me!” : Mathematical development, developmental dyscalculia and computer-based intervention
- 2018
-
Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- A “sense” of number can be found across species, yet only humans supplement it with exact and symbolic number, such as number words and digits. However, what abilities leads to successful or unsuccessful arithmetic proficiency is still debated. Furthermore, as the predictability between early understanding of math and later achievement is stronger than for other subjects, early deficits can cause significant later deficits. The purpose of the current thesis was to contribute to the description of what aspects of non-symbolic and symbolic processing leads to later successful or unsuccessful arithmetic proficiency, and to study the effects of different designs of computer-programs on pre-school class aged children. The cognitive mechanisms underlying symbolic number processing and different arithmetic skills were mapped to discover their contributions to children’s proficiency. Findings show that the non-symbolic system continues to contribute to arithmetic performance, and that the general cognitive abilities’ contributions might vary with development. Moreover, more advanced mathematical skills were supported by less advanced. In order to investigate the underlying core deficit in DD, performance was contrasted with an individually matched control group on general cognitive abilities. Findings indicate that DD children are impaired on both nonsymbolic and symbolic processing, the most impairment on the symbolic measures. Furthermore, the results indicated subgroups. In order to investigate the effects of early intervention, three theoretically different designs of computer programs, designed in accordance to hypotheses of number processing were compared to a passive control group. Results revealed that even brief, daily arithmetic training utilizing theoretically different designs impacted different aspects of symbolic processing. The presented findings indicate that the non-symbolic system is the foundation for the symbolic system, and that DD is caused by a non-symbolic deficit. The present thesis also adds evidence that formal arithmetic is founded on precise representations, rather than approximate.
|
|
