The aim of the present study is to explore strategies in enumerating units of three dimensional (3D) arrays. We analyse enumeration strategies of students in grade 3 (ages 8 to 9) in situations of cubical and spherical representations of units of 3D arrays. By exploring students' strategies in these two situations, we find that difficulties in…

Math computation is a foundational skill for students developing higher-level mathematics problem-solving skills and represents a primary deficit for students struggling in mathematics. Students with mathematics difficulties also tend to have difficulties with other executive functions. One domain that is systematically part of most mathematical…

In this paper, we share the results of the piloting of national diagnostic assessments for strategic calculation with Grade 3 learners in South Africa. The diagnostic assessment pilot intervention was focused on promoting strategic use of calculation strategies and aimed to move learners on from the concrete one-to-one counting methods that…

This study examined the influence of addition and subtraction practice embedded within a word-problem intervention for Grade 3 students experiencing word-problem difficulty. Students (N = 448) were randomly assigned to one of two variants of a word-problem intervention or a business-as-usual comparison condition. Within the word-problem…

Background: Today, computational thinking (CT), which is considered to be a form of literacy, has taken its place in the ICT curriculum of many countries at the K-12 level. Therefore, there is a need for more evidence with regards to a theoretical and practical understanding of CT skills' development of K-12 students. Objectives: The purpose of…

The research examined the calculation methods used by pupils in Grades 3-6 when they were presented with problems that could be worked out efficiently and flexibly by applying number sense. The study was conducted with a convenience sample of 179 pupils between the ages 7 years and 10 months to 12 years and 10 months. in mainstream education in…

This longitudinal study was conducted in order to determine and improve the mental addition strategies of students in their 2nd and 3rd years at elementary school. The first part of the study used the qualitative research method of case study, while the second part adopted the single group pretest-posttest quasi-experimental design. The study…

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) camp program on rural students' self-efficacy and computational thinking skills. One hundred fifty-three third- and fourth-grade elementary school students from three different rural schools in China were recruited to participate. All…

Measurement estimation skills are relevant for our everyday life and should be addressed in the mathematics classroom. Although students' measurement estimation skills were examined in several empirical studies, a structure model to describe these skills is still missing. The current research aimed at analyzing the structure of length estimation…

With the increasing importance of Computational Thinking (CT) at all levels of education, it is essential to have valid and reliable assessments. Currently, there is a lack of such assessments in upper primary school. That is why we present the development and validation of the competent CT test (cCTt), an unplugged CT test targeting 7-9 year-old…

This study explored whether executive functioning skills and maths test anxiety were associated with children's untimed and timed algorithmic computational performance and their discrepancy. It also investigated whether such relations were moderated by children's basic maths fact fluency. One hundred and thirty third-graders were rated by teachers…

There is little empirical research related to how elementary students develop computational thinking (CT) and how they apply CT in problem-solving. To address this gap in knowledge, this study made use of learning trajectories (LTs; hypothesized learning goals, progressions, and activities) in CT concept areas such as sequence, repetition,…

Computational thinking (CT) has permeated primary and early childhood education in recent years. Despite the extensive effort in CT learning initiatives, few age-appropriate assessment tools targeting young children have been developed. In this study, we proposed Computational Thinking Test for Lower Primary (CTtLP), which was designed for lower…

Computational thinking is a means to understand and solve complex problems through using computer science concepts and techniques. While there is an increase in the number of initiatives focusing on coding, whether they (a) address computational thinking and problem-solving skills and (b) use methods of teaching problem solving is yet to be…

The aim of this study was to improve the 2nd- and 3rd-graders' conceptual subitizing skills by using in-class activities, and to examine whether the practice affects the students' basic number processing skills, calculation performance and overall mathematics achievement in the long run. The training was carried out for eight weeks (640 min in…