Cognitive Profile of Students with Different Fraction Knowledge Perfil cognitivo de estudiantes con diferente nivel de conocimiento de las fracciones

STELZER, FLORENCIA; ANDRÉS, MARÍA LAURA; COMESAÑA, ANA; CANET-JURIC, LORENA; URQUIJO, SEBASTIÁN

Revista CES Psicologia

Universidad CES

Lugar: Bogotá; Año: 2023 vol. 16 p. 73 - 85

The understanding of fractions represents a key step for the progressive learning of mathematics. This study aims to identify cognitive factors and prior mathematical abilities that allow to characterize and discriminate fourth graders students who struggle against those who are proficient in fraction understanding. 135 fourth-year primary school students from the province of Buenos Aires, Argentina (66 women; M age= 9.3; SD=0.42) were selected based on availability. Predictor variables were verbal and visuospatial working memory, perceptual inhibition, fluid intelligence, and natural numbers division ability. To achieve the objective we established two groups of students that represented the extreme levels in the comprehension of fractions: (a) group with comprehension difficulties (n=35), made up of students with scores equal to or less than p25 in a fractions task; and (b) a group of proficient in fraction understanding (n=39), made up of students who present scores equal to or higher than p75 in that task. The discriminant function indicated that both groups of students are characterized by presenting differential performance in the abilities of fluid intelligence, working memory, and division. Of these variables, intelligence shows the highest contribution to group discrimination, followed by division capacity and working memory. The implications of these results for the teaching of fractions are discussed.