Optimal Feedback for Students Solving Mathematical Equivalence Problems Differs Between Boys and Girls

• In Event: Elementary Students' Mathematical Cognition: Insights Into Estimation, Relational Reasoning, and Effective Feedback in Mathematics

Abstract

What types of feedback help children solve math problems? This study compared two forms of feedback following errors. In diminishing feedback, students received maximal support after their first error, with subsequent feedback gradually fading. In accumulating feedback, simple accuracy feedback was first, and subsequent feedback gradually increased support. The goal was to determine which feedback to use when translating a math program to an online format. Findings did not reveal a main effect of feedback, but an unexpected feedback by gender effect emerged. Girls benefited more from diminishing feedback while boys benefited more from accumulating feedback. These findings align with research on gender differences in mathematics and may have implications for tailoring feedback to meet the needs of different students.

Authors

• Amy Lynn Miyahara, University of Notre Dame

• Anna N. Bartel, WestEd

• Jodi Davenport, WestEd

• Yvonne Kao, WestEd

• Shannon Celeste, University of Notre Dame

• Nicole M. McNeil, University of Notre Dame