背景:本研究旨在调查与算术任务中的跨文化差异相关的认知和情感因素。
方法:从中国和意大利招募了404名三年级和四年级学生来完成精确的算术运算,算术估计和认知任务(即,短期记忆,执行功能,和流体推理)。他们的数学焦虑也被测量。
结果:结果显示,中国儿童在算术任务和轮班任务中的表现均优于意大利儿童。意大利儿童在视觉空间更新任务中表现更好,数学焦虑水平高于中国同龄人。多组路径分析显示,认知因素之间的关系模式(即,短期记忆,抑制和移位),数学焦虑,各组的算术性能相似。唯一的例外是,视觉空间更新唯一地预测了中国人的算术估计,而不是意大利儿童的算术估计。
结论:中国儿童在精确算术任务中的表现优于意大利同龄人,可能是由于在中国数学教育中更加强调算术流畅性,在学校和家里。在算术估计任务中,他们也比意大利同行略有优势。在中国儿童而不是意大利儿童中发现的更新和算术估计之间的独特联系表明,尽管在这两个国家的课程中都没有强调算术估计,精确算术的指导和练习可以提高中国儿童解决算术估计问题的效率。
BACKGROUND: This study aimed to investigate the cognitive and affective factors associated with cross-cultural differences in arithmetic tasks.
METHODS: A total of 404 third- and fourth- graders were recruited from China and Italy to complete exact arithmetic, arithmetic estimation and cognitive tasks (i.e., short-term memory, executive functions, and fluid reasoning). Their mathematical anxiety was also measured.
RESULTS: The results showed that Chinese children performed better than Italian children in both arithmetic tasks and in shifting task. Italian children performed better in visuospatial updating task and reported higher levels of mathematical anxiety than their Chinese peers. Multi-group path analyses showed that the patterns of relations among cognitive factors (i.e., short-term memory, inhibition and shifting), mathematical anxiety, and arithmetic performance were similar across groups. The only exception was that visuospatial updating uniquely predicted arithmetic estimation for Chinese but not for Italian children.
CONCLUSIONS: Chinese children outperformed their Italian peers in the exact arithmetic task, likely due to the greater emphasis on arithmetic fluency in Chinese mathematics education, both in schools and at home. They also had a slight advantage than Italian peers in the arithmetic estimation task. The unique link between updating and arithmetic estimation found in Chinese children but not Italian children suggests that, although arithmetic estimation is not emphasized in the curricula of either country, instruction and practice in exact arithmetic may enhance Chinese children\'s efficiency in solving arithmetic estimation problems.