Background and context: Historically underrepresented youth in computer science persistently experience barriers making it difficult to see themselves in the computer science field including computer science programs and curricula with consistent stereotypical references focused on competition, individualism, and male-associated topics…

This study aimed to reveal the conceptual and operational conceptions of sixth-grade students in the process of division. The focus of the study included the strategies used in the division process, the students' understanding of the division algorithm, and their ability to interpret the remainder in a real-life context. Being qualitative in…

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…

Numerical estimation has been used to study how children mentally represent numbers for many years (e.g., Siegler & Opfer, 2003). However, these studies have always presented children with positive numbers and positive number lines. Children's mental representation of negative numbers has never been addressed. The present study tested children…

It is often assumed when students fidget they are not on task. Two within-subject studies challenge this assumption by testing the effect of allowing fidgeting on three types of thinking: speeded mental math (Study 1), brainstorming and memory (Study 2). Study 1 showed that student's performance on speeded math was no different when performed in a…

Individual differences in strategy use (choice and accuracy) were analyzed. A sample of 362 Grade 6 students solved complex division problems under 2 different conditions. In the choice condition students were allowed to use either a mental or a written strategy. In the subsequent no-choice condition, they were required to use a written strategy.…

Age-related changes in children's performance on simple division problems (e.g., 6 divided by 2, 72 divided by 9) were investigated by asking children in Grades 4 through 7 to solve 32 simple division problems. Differences in performance were found across grade, with younger children performing more slowly and less accurately than older children.…

Tests of computational estimation ability (CEA), strategy (CES), and mental computation ability (MCA) of (n=124) fourth, (n=143) fifth, and (n=84) sixth graders found significant relationships between CEA and MCA and between CEA and CES but not between MCA and CES. (12 references) (Author/MKR)