Development of Kindergarten Children's Mathematical Skills in Different Mathematical Content Areas: A Longitudinal Cross-Lagged Panel Study

• In Event: AERA Poster Session 8
  In Poster Session: Early Childhood Outcomes

Abstract

Research on kindergarten children’s mathematical development has often focussed on skills within the content area of quantity. However, kindergarten children also encounter other mathematical content areas like for example space and shape when playing with building blocks. Based on a test covering different mathematical content areas, we investigated in a two-year longitudinal study with 450 children the children’s development within and between different mathematical content areas. Results of cross-lagged-panel models gave first hints that mathematical skills in different content areas might develop in a different manner. As expected we found substantial autoregressive effects for skills within one content area. These are accompanied with effects between skills of different content areas. Implications for impact for educational research and practice are discussed.

Authors

• Simone Dunekacke, Freie Universität Berlin

• Ann-Katrin van den Ham, University of Hamburg

• Meike Grüßing, Universität Vechta

• Aiso Heinze, Leibniz Institute for Science and Mathematics Education