Why do we see socioeconomic attainment gaps in early mathematical ability?

• In Event: Poster Session 11
  In Poster Session: PS 11 Topic - Education, Schooling

Abstract

Mathematical ability predicts academic attainment through school (Duncan et al., 2007) and health and wealth in adulthood (e.g., Ritchie & Bates, 2013). By school entry, sizeable socioeconomic differences in children’s mathematical ability are visible (Starkey & Klein, 2008). However, we do not have a good understanding of the mechanisms by which socioeconomic disparities in early mathematical ability develop. It is crucial we understand these mechanisms in order to support early mathematical development and decrease the socioeconomic attainment gap.

The present study looked at three of the most plausible factors for explaining socioeconomic attainment gaps in early mathematics. Firstly, executive functions vary by socioeconomic status (SES) (Lawson et al., 2018) and underpin mathematical ability in older children, namely working memory (the ability to maintain and process information) and inhibitory control (the ability to suppress automatic but irrelevant responses) (Cragg & Gilmore, 2014). Executive functions develop rapidly during the preschool years when mathematical skills are developing thus making them a plausible mechanism by which SES differences in mathematical attainment develop. Secondly, vocabulary varies by SES and is important for mathematical learning (Schmitt et al., 2019) but there is little research exploring the role vocabulary may play in explaining SES differences in early mathematical learning. Thirdly, frequency of home mathematical activities may be important for children’s early mathematical development (Lefevre et al., 2009) however, these findings lack consistency and we do not know how they may vary in a diverse SES sample. To date, no research has explored these factors together in young children in a diverse SES sample. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether these factors are mechanisms by which we see socioeconomic attainment gaps in early mathematics.

Preschoolers (N=174) from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds were recruited to the study. Children completed measures of mathematical ability, inhibitory control, working memory and vocabulary. Parents completed a questionnaire on the frequency that they engaged in home mathematical activities with their children as well as their beliefs on the importance of engaging in these activities and their own mathematical self-efficacy (i.e. how confident parents are in their own mathematical ability). SES was measured using parent education.

Results indicate preschoolers from lower SES backgrounds had significantly lower mathematical ability than their higher SES peers (r=.30**). Frequency of home mathematical activities did not relate to preschoolers mathematical ability and did not vary by SES. SES was positively correlated with inhibitory control (r=.28**) and vocabulary (r=.39**) but not working memory. Children with better working memory (r=.49**), inhibitory control (r=.49**) and vocabulary (r=.55**) had higher mathematical ability. Mediation analysis revealed inhibitory control partially mediated the SES attainment gap however, this mediation did not hold when controlling for vocabulary. Vocabulary fully mediates the relation between SES and mathematical ability.

The results demonstrate SES attainment gaps in mathematical ability from age three. Vocabulary appears a likely mechanism through which SES attainment gaps arise, whereas frequency of home mathematical activities does not explain the socioeconomic attainment gap in early mathematics.

Authors

• Ella James-Brabham, University of Sheffield
  Presenting Author

• Emma Blakey, University of Sheffield
  Non-Presenting Author

• Daniel J. Carroll, University of Sheffield
  Non-Presenting Author

• Paul Wakeling, University of York
  Non-Presenting Author