Children and mathematics: beyond the role of cognitive abilities in early math achievement

2012/2013The field of mathematical learning has received in recent years increasing attention in research, clinical and educational settings. The leading research line is dedicated to the investigation of the cognitive abilities fundamental for the acquisition and application of math concepts. Among general abilities, there is a wealth of evidence in favor of the recruitment of both working memory and short-term memory, despite there is no agreement concerning the involvement of the related subcomponents. Conflicting results pertain also the role of intelligence. Even major debate concerns more specific cognitive abilities, therefore those closely related to mathematics. In particular, it has not been elucidated the involvement of basic skills entailing approximate judgments about magnitudes and identified with ANS. Moreover, it is not yet clear how the recruitment of all these abilities can vary in dependence on stage of development and level of instruction. The other research line, almost independent from the previous, is dedicated to the evaluation of constructs non-cognitive in nature, for instance affective and motivational factors but also self-perceptions, in relation to academic achievement. Mainly studied are constructs such as self-efficacy and anxiety, with particular reference to a subtype of anxiety that is specific to math. Other relevant aspects are represented by constructs such as self-concept and self-esteem, but also depression. Nevertheless, this kind of studies is usually conducted on old children, typically in those attending secondary school or college, whereas less attention is dedicated to younger students. Starting from these considerations, the purpose of the current dissertation has been that of elucidating which are the factors, both cognitive and non-cognitive, that can assume a greater relevance at the beginning of schooling, i.e., in the first grades of primary school. These factors have been inspected both separately and by trying to find a possible interrelation between them. In CHAPTER 1, the topics that are object of the present work are illustrated by delineating the state-of-the-art pertinent to each of them. CHAPTER 2 is dedicated to the description of Study 1, where a broad range of cognitive abilities including memory, intelligence and ANS has been investigated just at the beginning of formal instruction and therefore in relation to early math competence. Having proved the significant involvement of all tested skills, the consequent aim was that of exploring to which extent the same are suitable in the prediction of math performance in following grades. This investigation has represented the topic of Study 2, illustrated in CHAPTER 3. In this study, children were longitudinally followed from first to third grade, observing that the tested abilities can successfully predict future math learning, but with a leading role of working memory. Once having shed light on the involvement of cognitive abilities, a second purpose was the investigation of the possible involvement in young students of non-cognitive factors. These constructs were thus assessed in Study 3, reported in CHAPTER 4. The sample was represented by second graders and more relevant aspects resulted to be self-efficacy and general anxiety. Contrary to expectations, anxiety specific to math appeared be non-significantly related to math performance. For this reason, Study 4, described in CHAPTER 5, was dedicated to an extensive evaluation of this constructs in third graders, in order to inspect when it could become relevant. Results suggested the association with math performance to establish in third grade, with particular impact of anxiety related to learning math rather than that associated to the math testing condition. The main findings emerging from overall studies and limitations, future directions and implications of the research are finally discussed in CHAPTER 6.  Negli ultimi anni, lo studio dell’apprendimento della matematica ha iniziato a ricevere crescente attenzione nel campo della ricerca, ma anche in quello clinico ed educativo. Maggiore interesse è dedicato allo studio delle abilità cognitive che sottostanno all’apprendimento e all’applicazione dei concetti matematici. Tra le abilità a carattere generale, in letteratura esiste un forte consenso sul ruolo cruciale della memoria, sia di lavoro che a breve termine, nonostante non sia del tutto chiarito il coinvolgimento relativo delle varie componenti della stessa. Dibattito sussiste anche in merito al ruolo dell’intelligenza. Ancora maggiori divergenze permangono in merito al ruolo di abilità più specifiche, ovvero strettamente pertinenti alla matematica. In particolare non c’è accordo sul ruolo di abilità molto di base, indicate come ANS, e che consistono nel fornire giudizi approssimati in merito a grandezze e quantità. In aggiunta, non è chiaro il coinvolgimento relativo delle sopraccitate abilità in relazione a determinati stadi dello sviluppo o livelli di istruzione. Il secondo filone di ricerca, perlopiù indipendente dal precedente, è rappresentato dalla valutazione di aspetti prettamente non-cognitivi, quali quelli affettivi e motivazionali, ma anche percezioni che gli individui formano in merito a se stessi e alle proprie capacità. I costrutti maggiormente indagati sono quelli dell’auto-efficacia e dell’ansia, sia generale che specifica per la matematica. Altri aspetti rilevanti sono rappresentati dal concetto di sé, dall’autostima e dalla depressione. Questi fattori sono tuttavia tipicamente valutati in studenti a partire dalla scuola secondaria, mentre minore attenzione viene dedicata a quelli frequentanti i primi anni del percorso scolastico. A partire da queste considerazioni, l’obiettivo primario del presente lavoro di tesi è consistito nella valutazione di quali fattori, sia cognitivi che non, hanno una maggiore rilevanza nell’ambito della prestazione matematica all’inizio della scolarità, più precisamente nelle prime classi della scuola primaria. Si è voluto valutare questi fattori sia indipendentemente, sia esplorandone la possibile influenza reciproca. Il CAPITOLO 1 è quindi dedicato alla discussione degli argomenti trattati in modo da fornire una panoramica sullo stato dell’arte attuale in merito alle ricerche condotte e ai relativi risultati. Il CAPITOLO 2 è centrato sulla descrizione dello Studio 1, in cui è stato testato un ampio spettro di abilità cognitive quali memoria, intelligenza e ANS, in bambini appena avviati all’istruzione formale e pertanto valutando il ruolo di queste abilità in relazione ad abilità matematiche precoci, prettamente informali. Verificato il coinvolgimento significativo di abilità tanto generali quanto specifiche all’inizio della scolarità, l’obiettivo conseguente è stato quello di verificare in che modo tali abilità siano in grado di predire l’apprendimento matematico negli anni successivi della scuola primaria. Questo obiettivo ha caratterizzato lo Studio 2, descritto nel CAPITOLO 3. Un campione di bambini è stato seguito longitudinalmente dalla classe prima alla classe terza, riscontrando che tutte le abilità indagate hanno un significativo impatto anche sull’apprendimento formale della matematica, ma con un ruolo primario assunto dalla memoria di lavoro. Una volta delineato il quadro delle abilità cognitive cruciali nei primi anni scuola, la volontà è stata quello di esplorare se anche costrutti non-cognitivi possano avere un impatto significativo. Lo Studio 3, illustrato nel CAPITOLO 4, si è quindi focalizzato anche sulla valutazione di questi aspetti in bambini di classe seconda, riscontrando un diretto coinvolgimento di auto-efficacia ed ansia generale. Contrariamente alle aspettative, l’ansia specifica per la matematica non è risultata avere alcun legame significativo con la prestazione matematica. A partire da questo risultato, l’obiettivo dello Studio 4, riportato nel CAPITOLO 5, è consistito nella valutazione più approfondita di questo costrutto in bambini di classe terza, in modo da esplorare quando lo stesso possa diventare rilevante ai fini della prestazione matematica. I risultati hanno dimostrato un ruolo significativo a questo livello, in particolare per quanto concerne l’ansia da apprendimento, piuttosto che di valutazione, della disciplina. Il CAPITOLO 6 è quindi dedicato alla discussione generale dell’elaborato in cui sono riassunti i principali risultati emersi e discusse le limitazioni, prospettive future ed implicazioni pratiche della ricerca.XXVI Ciclo198

Language brain representation in bilinguals with different age of appropriation and proficiency of the second language: A meta-analysis of functional imaging studies

Language representation in the bilingual brain is the result of many factors, of which age of appropriation (AoA) and proficiency of the second language (L2) are probably the most studied. Many studies indeed compare early and late bilinguals, although it is not yet clear what the role of the so-called critical period in L2 appropriation is. In this study, we carried out coordinate-based meta-analyses to address this issue and to inspect the role of proficiency in addition to that of AoA. After the preliminary inspection of the early (also very early) and late bilinguals\u2019 language networks, we explored the specific activations associated with each language and compared them within and between the groups. Results confirmed that the L2 language brain representation was wider than that associated with L1. This was observed regardless of AoA, although differences were more relevant in the late bilinguals\u2019 group. In particular, L2 entailed a greater enrollment of the brain areas devoted to the executive functions, and this was also observed in proficient bilinguals. The early bilinguals displayed many activation clusters as well, which also included the areas involved in cognitive control. Interestingly, these regions activated even in L1 of both early and late bilingual groups, although less consistently. Overall, these findings suggest that bilinguals in general are constantly subjected to cognitive effort to monitor and regulate the language use, although early AoA and high proficiency are likely to reduce this

How is anxiety related to math performance in young students? A longitudinal study of Grade 2 to Grade 3 children

Both general and math-specific anxiety are related to proficiency in mathematics. However, it is not clear when math anxiety arises in young children, nor how it relates to early math performance. This study therefore investigated the early association between math anxiety and math performance in Grades 2 and 3, by accounting for general anxiety and by further inspecting the prevalent directionality of the anxiety\u2013performance link. Results revealed that this link was significant in Grade 3, with a prevalent direction from math anxiety to performance, rather than the reverse. Longitudinal analyses also showed an indirect effect of math anxiety in Grade 2 on subsequent math performance in Grade 3. Overall, these findings highlight the importance of monitoring anxiety from the early stages of schooling in order to promote proficient academic performance

The relation between cognitive and emotional factors and arithmetic problem-solving

Literature that investigates the factors underlying arithmetic problem-solving achievement extensively evaluates the cognitive components, such as Working Memory (WM) and Processing Speed, at the basis of this acquisition. Recently, studies have shown that also the emotional factors, such as Math Anxiety (MA), could play a crucial role in the resolution of arithmetic problem-solving even during the first years of formal education. In this study, we tested 145 fourth-grade students to evaluate the possible combined effect of cognitive (i.e., WM, Processing Speed) and emotional (i.e., Math Anxiety) factors in untimed arithmetical problem-solving achievement. Regression analysis showed that MA contributed significantly to explain arithmetic problem-solving achievement even after having accounted for the cognitive abilities (WM and Processing Speed). In addition, the comparison between high-MA and low-MA children showed that the former had decreased performance in arithmetical problem-solving and WM tasks. On the whole, data seemed to corroborate the findings concerning the crucial role of math anxiety on math achievement even in untimed math tasks. Findings are discussed in terms of math educational context and they underline the need to take into consideration also emotional factors\u2012 apart from the cognitive skills\u2012 when developing interventions on math achievement

Acquired Language Disorders in Bilinguals

The literature reports an increased number of aphasias involving bilingual people. Dealing with bilingual aphasia requires particular attention from the diagnostic to the therapeutic phase. In this review, the authors describe the possible impairment patterns, which could be different between the two languages and be characterised by specific deficits and sometimes unexpected profiles. The role of some crucial factors in determining the observed deficits and impairment patterns is illustrated, for instance age of appropriation and proficiency. An early versus late language appropriation recruits different brain processes and hence different brain structures. In general, a greater vulnerability is observed for the late-learned languages, although a high proficiency or use and exposure appear to prevent language impairment even in the case of late appropriation. The authors also discussed the role of other intervening factors, such as emotional–motivational aspects, which could explain unusual profiles. Furthermore, language deficits specific to bilingualism, such as pathological mixing and switching and translation problems were described. In this respect, the authors underlined the fundamental involvement of cognitive control mechanisms and of the role of the brain structures associated with this. Lastly, the clinical practice issues in bilingual aphasia were outlined, underlining the need for a careful diagnosis. This should take into account the patient's language history in order to avoid biased assessments and instead promote the setup of effective intervention programmes

Efficacy and Safety of Intravenous Thrombolysis in Patients with Acute Ischemic Stroke and Pre\u207bExisting Disability

Little is known about intravenous thrombolysis (IVT) in acute ischemic stroke (AIS) patients with pre-existing disability. Disabled patients are often excluded from IVT treatment. Previous studies investigated the role of pre-existing disability on outcomes in AIS patients after IVT. However, no studies have been conducted to date to determine whether IVT may improve clinical outcomes in AIS patients with pre-existing disability. The aim of our study was to evaluate efficacy and safety of IVT in patients with pre-existing moderate and moderately severe disability (pre-stroke modified Rankin Scale score = 3 or 4) affected by AIS. This study was based on a retrospective analysis of a prospectively collected database of consecutive patients admitted to the Udine University Hospital with AIS from January 2015 to May 2018. The efficacy endpoints were the rate of favorable outcome and rate of major neurological improvement. The safety endpoints were the rate of mortality at three months, presence of intracranial hemorrhage (ICH), and presence of symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage (sICH). The study population included 110 AIS patients with pre-existing moderate and moderately severe disability, 36 of which received (IVT+) and 74 did not receive IVT (IVT-). AIS disabled patients treated with IVT had higher rates of favorable outcome (66.7% vs. 36.5%, p = 0.003) and major neurological improvement (39.4% vs. 17.4%, p = 0.01) compared to non-treated ones. Two in three disabled patients returned to their pre-stroke functional status when treated with IVT. Prevalence of three-month mortality, ICH, and sICH did not differ in the two groups. Disabled patients affected by AIS significantly improved after IVT. Moderate and moderately severe disability alone should not be considered, per se, as a contraindication to IVT treatment

Language Brain Representation in Bilinguals With Different Age of Appropriation and Proficiency of the Second Language: A Meta-Analysis of Functional Imaging Studies

Language representation in the bilingual brain is the result of many factors, of which age of appropriation (AoA) and proficiency of the second language (L2) are probably the most studied. Many studies indeed compare early and late bilinguals, although it is not yet clear what the role of the so-called critical period in L2 appropriation is. In this study, we carried out coordinate-based meta-analyses to address this issue and to inspect the role of proficiency in addition to that of AoA. After the preliminary inspection of the early (also very early) and late bilinguals’ language networks, we explored the specific activations associated with each language and compared them within and between the groups. Results confirmed that the L2 language brain representation was wider than that associated with L1. This was observed regardless of AoA, although differences were more relevant in the late bilinguals’ group. In particular, L2 entailed a greater enrollment of the brain areas devoted to the executive functions, and this was also observed in proficient bilinguals. The early bilinguals displayed many activation clusters as well, which also included the areas involved in cognitive control. Interestingly, these regions activated even in L1 of both early and late bilingual groups, although less consistently. Overall, these findings suggest that bilinguals in general are constantly subjected to cognitive effort to monitor and regulate the language use, although early AoA and high proficiency are likely to reduce this

Correlation and path analysis in wheat cultivars in the initial period of development

The cultivation of soybeans in the central region of the state of Rio Grande do Sul, has increased the interest of farmers for winter crops in the region. However, information related to crop development in a low-latitude environment is limited and necessary to improve crop management. The objectives of this article were to evaluate the linear relation between traits of spring wheat cultivars in the initial period of development in a low-altitude site. The experiments were conducted in two years in Santa Maria - RS. The experimental design used was randomized blocks, with ten wheat cultivars. The evaluations were carried out at the end of the tillering, where 300 plants were selected per year, obtaining a total sample number of 600 plants. After selecting, the character’s plant height (PH), the number of leaves of the main stem (NLMS), the number of leaves per plant (NLP), the number of tillers (NT), and the dry matter (DM) were measured. Pearson’s correlation coefficient matrices were estimated, and the path analysis of the main variable DM was performed as a function of PH, NLMS, NLP, NT, and DM. The cultivars TBIO Mestre and TBIO Sinuelo have a higher number of tillers. The NLP has a greater direct effect on DM, in field conditions it is recommended to count the NT, as it has a direct relationship with DM and NLP, associated with this, the character is fast to count and has agronomic value for the wheat crop. In a low-altitude cultivation site, the number of tillers depends on cultivation and environmental conditions. The cultivars TBIO Mestre and TBIO Sinuelo have high tillering capacity. Based on linear relationships, through the non-destructive selection of wheat plants with a greater number of leaves per plant and a greater number of tillers, plants with a higher dry matter mass are indirectly selected. However, the number of tillers is recommended because it is quick to measure.

Desmoglein-4 deficiency exacerbates psoriasiform dermatitis in rats while psoriasis patients displayed a decreased gene expression of DSG4

Desmogleins are involved in cell adhesion conferring structural skin integrity. However, their role in inflammation has been barely studied, and whether desmoglein-4 modulates psoriasis lesions is completely unknown. In this study, we assessed the impact of desmoglein-4 deficiency on the severity of imiquimod (IMQ)-induced skin inflammation and psoriasiform lesions. To this end, desmoglein-4−/− Oncins France Colony A (OFA) with Sprague–Dawley (SD) genetic background were used. Additionally, human RNA-Seq datasets from psoriasis (PSO), atopic dermatitis (AD), and a healthy cohort were analyzed to obtain a desmosome gene expression overview. OFA rats displayed an intense skin inflammation while SD showed only mild inflammatory changes after IMQ treatment. We found that IMQ treatment increased CD3+ T cells in skin from both OFA and SD, being higher in desmoglein-4-deficient rats. In-depth transcriptomic analysis determined that PSO displayed twofold less DSG4 expression than healthy samples while both, PSO and AD showed more than three-fold change expression of DSG3 and DSC2 genes. Although underlying mechanisms are still unknown, these results suggest that the lack of desmoglein-4 may contribute to immune-mediated skin disease progression, promoting leukocyte recruitment to skin. Although further research is needed, targeting desmoglein-4 could have a potential impact on designing new biomarkers for skin diseases.Fil: Moreno Sosa, María Tamara. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mendoza. Instituto de Medicina y Biología Experimental de Cuyo; ArgentinaFil: Sánchez, María Belén. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mendoza. Instituto de Medicina y Biología Experimental de Cuyo; ArgentinaFil: Pietrobon, Elisa Olivia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mendoza. Instituto de Medicina y Biología Experimental de Cuyo; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mendoza. Instituto de Histología y Embriología de Mendoza Dr. Mario H. Burgos. Universidad Nacional de Cuyo. Facultad de Ciencias Médicas. Instituto de Histología y Embriología de Mendoza Dr. Mario H. Burgos; ArgentinaFil: Fernandez Muñoz, Juan Manuel. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mendoza. Instituto de Medicina y Biología Experimental de Cuyo; ArgentinaFil: Zoppino, Felipe Carlos Martin. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mendoza. Instituto de Medicina y Biología Experimental de Cuyo; ArgentinaFil: Neira, Flavia Judith. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mendoza. Instituto de Medicina y Biología Experimental de Cuyo; ArgentinaFil: Germano, Maria Jose. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mendoza. Instituto de Medicina y Biología Experimental de Cuyo; ArgentinaFil: Cargnelutti, Diego Esteban. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mendoza. Instituto de Medicina y Biología Experimental de Cuyo; ArgentinaFil: Innocenti Badano, Alicia Carolina. Gobierno de la Provincia de Mendoza. Hospital Luis Lagomaggiore.; ArgentinaFil: Jahn, Graciela Alma. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mendoza. Instituto de Medicina y Biología Experimental de Cuyo; ArgentinaFil: Valdez, Susana Ruth. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mendoza. Instituto de Medicina y Biología Experimental de Cuyo; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Cuyo. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales; ArgentinaFil: Mackern Oberti, Juan Pablo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mendoza. Instituto de Medicina y Biología Experimental de Cuyo; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Cuyo. Facultad de Ciencias Médicas; Argentin

Aprendizajes y prácticas educativas en las actuales condiciones de época: COVID-19

“Esta obra colectiva es el resultado de una convocatoria a docentes, investigadores y profesionales del campo pedagógico a visibilizar procesos investigativos y prácticas educativas situadas en el marco de COVI-19. La misma se inscribe en el trabajo llevado a cabo por el equipo de Investigación responsable del Proyecto “Sentidos y significados acerca de aprender en las actuales condiciones de época: un estudio con docentes y estudiantes de la educación secundarias en la ciudad de Córdoba” de la Facultad de Filosofía y Humanidades. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. El momento excepcional que estamos atravesando, pero que también nos atraviesa, ha modificado la percepción temporal a punto tal que habitamos un tiempo acelerado y angustiante que nos exige la producción de conocimiento provisorio. La presente publicación surge como un espacio para detenernos a documentar lo que nos acontece y, a su vez, como oportunidad para atesorar y resguardar las experiencias educativas que hemos construido, inventado y reinventando en este contexto. En ella encontrarán pluralidad de voces acerca de enseñar y aprender durante la pandemia. Este texto es una pausa para reflexionar sobre el hacer y las prácticas educativas por venir”.Fil: Beltramino, Lucia (comp.). Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Filosofía y Humanidades. Escuela de Archivología; Argentina