Journal article
Parental attitudes and beliefs about mathematics and the use of gestures in children’s math development
Cognitive development, Vol.73, 101531
01/2025
DOI: 10.1016/j.cogdev.2024.101531
Abstract
Children vary in mathematical skills even before formal schooling. The current study investigated how parental math beliefs, parents’ math anxiety, and children's spontaneous gestures contribute to preschool-aged children’s math performance. Sixty-three Turkish-reared children (33 girls, Mage = 49.9 months, SD = 3.68) were assessed on verbal counting, cardinality, and arithmetic tasks (nonverbal and verbal). Results showed that parental math beliefs were related to children’s verbal counting, cardinality and arithmetic scores. Children whose parents have higher math beliefs along with low math anxiety scored highest in the cardinality task. Children’s gesture use was also related to lower cardinality performance and the relation between parental math beliefs and children’s performance became stronger when child gestures were absent. These findings highlight the importance of parent and child-related contributors in explaining the variability in preschool-aged children’s math skills.
•Role of parental math beliefs, attitudes, and children's gestures in preschool-age children’s math performance was examined.•Children were assessed on verbal counting, cardinality, and arithmetic tasks (nonverbal and verbal).•Parental math beliefs were related to children’s verbal counting, cardinality and arithmetic scores.•Children’s gesture use was linked to lower cardinality performance.•The relation between parental math beliefs and children’s performance became stronger when children did not gesture.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Parental attitudes and beliefs about mathematics and the use of gestures in children’s math development
- Creators
- Begüm Yılmaz - Koç UniversityIşıl Doğan - University of California, DavisDilay Z. Karadöller - Middle East Technical UniversityÖ. Ece Demir-Lira - University of IowaTilbe Göksun - Koç University
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- Cognitive development, Vol.73, 101531
- DOI
- 10.1016/j.cogdev.2024.101531
- ISSN
- 0885-2014
- eISSN
- 1879-226X
- Publisher
- Elsevier Inc
- Grant note
- James S. McDonnell Foundation Scholar Award: 220020510
This study has been supported by the James S. McDonnell Foundation Scholar Award (220020510) given to Tilbe Goksun. We thank members of the Language & Cognition Lab at Koc University for their valuable contributions. We especially thank Emel Nur Kaya, Sultan Karakas , , Asl & imath;han Cemre Cetin, and Mihri Ersoy for the data coding process. We are also thankful to all parents and children who participated in the study.
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 01/2025
- Academic Unit
- Stead Family Department of Pediatrics; Psychological and Brain Sciences; Iowa Neuroscience Institute; Center for Social Science Innovation
- Record Identifier
- 9984757155202771
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