Abstract
Understanding math and the ability to use math in various situations can greatly contribute to a successful life. Different math skills are of importance for understanding and supporting math ability. In addition, math interest may influence math ability. We investigated the relationship between math conceptual and procedural skills, their development over time, and the relation to math interest in Grades three and five. Participants in the study were Estonian students (N = 855), who were in Grade three (2019/2020) during the first testing and in Grade five (2021/2022) during the second testing. Students completed math competence testing which consisted of procedural and conceptual skill tasks and a questionnaire about math interest. Both person- and variable-oriented approaches were used in the analyses. Students’ math conceptual and procedural skills in Grades three and five were moderately related to each other. Furthermore, based on latent profile analysis, three profiles of skills were identified in both grades, distinguishing between students with low, average, and high levels of skills in both skills, with the exception of an approximately average-skill group in Grade five that had low conceptual skills but average procedural skills. Students were likely to remain in similar-skill groups for both Grades three and five. Lastly, there was a significant difference in math interest in Grade three among the groups with stable low, stable average, and stable high skills from Grades three to five. Fostering interest in math may be beneficial for achieving a high level of math proficiency. Future research should prioritize the integration of person-oriented methods into studies aimed at enhancing understanding of math skill development.
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This work was supported by Tallinn University (grant number TF/6620) and the Estonian Research Council (grant number PSG741).
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We confirm that both authors and only the authors have participated in the article preparation and that the manuscript has been read and its submission is approved by both named authors. There are no other persons who satisfied the criteria for authorship. Both of the authors have agreed to the byline order and to the submission of the manuscript in the current form. I, Triinu Kilp-Kabel, will be serving as the corresponding author. I will keep my co-author informed of our progress through the editorial review process, the content of the reviews, and any revisions made. Material preparation and data collection were performed by both authors; literature search, data analysis, and original draft preparation were done by Triinu Kilp-Kabel, and funding acquisition, review, editing, and supervision were done by Kaja Mädamürk.
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This work was approved by the Ethics Committee of Tallinn University (approval number 5). Parents and students signed an informed consent form to link Grade three results to Grade five results. If at least one did not consent to this, their results were not included in the data. The data itself was given to the research team in an encrypted file by a representative of the Exam Infosystem we have in Estonia without students’ personal details which could lead to their identification. In addition, students and parents were allowed to withdraw consent at any time during the study.
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Triinu Kilp-Kabel. School of Natural Sciences and Health, Tallinn University, Narva rd 25, 10120, Tallinn, Estonia. E-mail:triinu.kilp-kabel@tlu.ee
Current themes of research:
Math competence development and its relation to achievement motivation. Enhancing math competence in middle school.
Most relevant publications in the field of Psychology of Education:
No publications as of yet.
Kaja Mädamürk. School of Natural Sciences and Health, Tallinn University, Narva rd 25, 10120, Tallinn, Estonia. E-mail:kaja.madamurk@tlu.ee
Current themes of research:
Reading and math skill development. Learning motivation. Digital engagement in middle school.
Most relevant publications in the field of Psychology of Education:
Kikas, E., Mädamürk, K., & Palu, A. (2020). What role do comprehension‐oriented learning strategies have in solving math calculation and word problems at the end of middle school? British Journal of Educational Psychology, 90, 105-123.
Mädamürk, K., Tuominen, H., Hietajärvi, L., & Salmela-Aro, K. (2021). Adolescent students’ digital engagement and achievement goal orientation profiles. Computers & Education, 161, 104058.
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Kilp-Kabel, T., Mädamürk, K. The developmental trajectories of math skills and its relation to math interest in Grades three and five. Eur J Psychol Educ (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10212-024-00807-8
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10212-024-00807-8