Provide early intensified support for struggling arithmetic learners and design mathematics environments that promote positive emotions¶

Strategy · All strategies
Evidence · 4 claims (3 for, 1 against) · 1 study (1 associational), q3 · 0 of 1 report an effect size · 4 claims rest on one study

Description¶

Based on the finding that early arithmetic fluency is linked with later mathematics performance and with learning-related emotions, the authors recommend that "intensified educational support should be provided especially for those struggling to learn basic arithmetic skills already from the early school years". They further recommend teachers create learning environments promoting positive emotions and alleviating negative ones, for example "giving suitably challenging mathematics tasks related to students' interests, providing positive feedback, showing interest in mathematics". This becomes more critical as students get older, since positive emotions decrease and boredom increases.

Design Implications¶

Context¶

Requirements¶

• Awareness that developmental trajectories of mathematics emotions and arithmetic skill vary significantly already in early grades

Constraints¶

• The recommendation's urgency increases with age, as enjoyment decreases and boredom, especially, increases over the school years

Target Learners¶

• students in the first three school years, especially those struggling with basic arithmetic

Target Learning Goals¶

• arithmetic fluency and positive mathematics-related achievement emotions

Claims¶

• Arithmetic fluency increases significantly from first to third grade, with substantial individual differences in initial levels and growth [+W]
• Mathematics enjoyment decreases and boredom increases from first to third grade, while mean enjoyment stays fairly high and boredom low [+W]
• Only the initial level and rate of change in arithmetic fluency predict third-grade mathematics performance; achievement emotions do not [-W]
• Mathematics anxiety remains low and does not change significantly during the first three school years [+W]

Related Strategies¶

• Monitor children's math anxiety from the earliest stages of schooling to support proficient math performance
• Promote motivation alongside executive functioning and early numeracy development from the earliest stages of mathematics education
• Provide early, proactive, domain-specific interventions to support equitable access to advanced mathematics

Examples¶

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Key Sources¶

• Rawlings, A. M., Niemivirta, M., Korhonen, J., Lindskog, M., Tuominen, H., & Mononen, R. (2023). Achievement emotions and arithmetic fluency – Development and parallel processes during the early school years. Preprint Version 3, Accepted for publication, 27 March 2023. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.learninstruc.2023.101776