Mathematical problems can be divided into two types, namely, process-open and process-constrained problems. Solving these two types of problems may require different cognitive mechanisms. However, there has been only one study that investigated the differences of the cognitive abilities in process-open and process-constrained problem solving, and…

Problem solving is often regarded as one of the most essential cognitive functions in our daily lives, and, for that reason, educational theorists have long stressed the need for its development. As cognitive flexibility is a fundamental characteristic necessary throughout the problem-solving process, the purpose of this study is to analyse…

This study examined Cho's dynamic system model of creative problem-solving ability in a sample of 112 gifted and non-gifted students. The cluster analysis and t-test results indicated that students should be categorized into high and low performance groups. Students who scored three points or more across all attributes also had a higher likelihood…

The purpose of this article is to report how Year 6 teachers used geometric reasoning tasks to foster students' mathematical attitudes and dispositions by encouraging communication as students constructed mathematical meaning for themselves. The Year 6 teachers implemented two tasks to provide a rich mathematical assessment opportunity…

Background: The role of gender in both spatial and mathematics performance has been extensively studied separately, with a male advantage often found in spatial tasks and mathematics from adolescence. Spatial reasoning is consistently linked to mathematics proficiency, yet despite this, little research has investigated the role of spatial…

Ample studies have confirmed that the concepts of Community of Practice and Lesson Study can effectively develop professional development, especially in the design of learning. This positive impact on learners is also evident. Therefore, this study aimed to examine the results that occurred with students who learned from teachers who used…

In this article we examine 4th and 5th grade Portuguese students' performance on problems of structuring 2D rectangular arrays of squares, which was analyzed and categorized into the five levels of sophistication described by Battista, Clements, Arnoff, Battista, and Borrow (1998). In general, the results suggest that students in the higher-grade…

The spatial sense ability of elementary school students is still low. Concrete-Pictorial-Abstract (CPA) approach is considered able to improve students' spatial sense abilities. This research aims to find out the increase of spatial sense of elementary school students who learned with CPA approach and conventional learning in terms of overall…

Background: The worked example effect in cognitive load theory suggests that providing worked examples first followed by solving similar problems would facilitate students' learning. Using problem solving-worked example sequence is another way of implementing example-based instruction. Although research has demonstrated the superiority of worked…

This paper examines the context for developing computational thinking (CT), computational participation (CP), and spatial reasoning among predominantly Black elementary students in grades 5 and 6, who attended a public school in the urban fringe of a large city in the Eastern United States. A case study is presented as the method to examine two…

This study investigated the relationship between three cognitive features of mathematical instruction tasks (high cognitive demand, multiple representations, and multiple solution methods) and student learning outcomes among 1,779 students from 30 Chinese fifth-grade classrooms using a new mathematics curriculum. Measures of mathematics learning…

This study examines the role of spatial reasoning in learning among 5th and 6th grade students participating in a set of in-school, technology-enhanced, STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and math) making activities. We focus our analysis on a particular type of reasoning: spatial reasoning. Prior research has shown that spatial…

Geometry students have few opportunities to apply geometric concepts and solve geometry problems in authentic contexts. We developed a Ubiquitous Geometry (UG) system to teach geometry to elementary students by using it to measure common objects in authentic contexts. The instant study investigates the effects of UG on student geometry estimation…

Low-income and racial/ethnic minority children are at increased risk of experiencing summer reading loss or declined reading levels due to time away from school. The purpose of this study was to determine whether a 6-week summer reading program would help children maintain or improve reading levels. Four-hundred-fourteen African American and…

This study aims to investigate a mathematical-metacognitive discourse model with IMPROVE metacognitive self-question prompts (What, How/When, and Why) in order to promote a deeper level of discourse in mathematics classes. The study involved 32 math teachers and 824 fifth-grade students (from 32 public schools) from one district in Israel.…