ERIC Number: EJ1472900
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2025
Pages: 13
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-2168-3603
EISSN: EISSN-2168-3611
Available Date: 0000-00-00
How Does Working Memory Affect Learning? The Interrelationship among Working Memory, Language Learning, and Mathematical Achievement
Aysegül Okay1; Gülay Cedden2
International Journal of School & Educational Psychology, v13 n2 p63-75 2025
This study investigates the relationship among working memory (WM), mathematics, and language, with the aim of understanding: (1) whether the functions and capacities of WM components can predict achievement in language and mathematics; and (2) whether competence in the first language (L1) and achievement in mathematics can predict success in later second language (L2) learning. The participants were 60 Turkish-English bilingual young adults. Data were collected through the Digit Span Task, standardized exams, and a computerized Turkish Reading Span Task developed for this study. The results reveal that: (1) WM significantly explains achievement in both language and mathematics, and (2) competence in L1 and mathematics predicts success in later L2 learning. Based on these findings, it is hypothesized that the domain-specific abilities of language and mathematical skills might share a core network that is strongly linked to the mechanisms of the phonological loop and the central executive, and that rehearsal techniques may modulate the learning achievement of languages and mathematics.
Descriptors: Correlation, Short Term Memory, Mathematics Achievement, Turkish, English (Second Language), Second Language Learning, Bilingualism, Prediction, Mathematics Instruction, Mathematics Tests, Standardized Tests, Mathematics Skills, Phonology, Language Skills, Executive Function, Cognitive Tests, Foreign Countries, Reading Tests, Secondary School Students, Native Language
Routledge. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 530 Walnut Street Suite 850, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Tel: 215-625-8900; Fax: 215-207-0050; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Secondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Turkey
Identifiers - Assessments and Surveys: Digit Span Test
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: 1DBE, School of Foreign Languages, Yildiz Technical University, Istanbul, Türkiye; 2IDF, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany