Education Mind

Research Article Open Access

Unveiling the numerical insights: A study on number sense skills of first graders and their teachers

Ecem Uluçay , Özgün Uyanık Aktulun , Ümit Ünsal Kaya

Abstract

This study explores the number sense skills of classroom teachers and first-grade primary school students in Uşak, Turkey, examining the impact of various demographic factors. A quantitative research design was employed, utilizing a survey model to gather data from 102 teachers and 341 students. The Number Sense Test (Teacher Form), developed by Kayhan Altay (2010), and the Number Sense Screener (Student Form), adapted by Uyanık Aktulun (2018) based on Jordan et al. (2010), were used as measurement instruments. The results revealed significant differences in number sense skills among teachers based on gender, professional experience, and training, and among students based on gender and parental education levels. Male teachers exhibited higher number sense skills compared to female teachers, and those with more professional experience and specific number sense training performed better. Among students, males outperformed females in certain number sense subcomponents, and higher parental education levels were associated with better student performance. These findings highlight the importance of targeted professional development for teachers and the crucial role of parental education levels in children's numerical development. The study underscores the need for early intervention programs and parental involvement to foster strong number sense skills, which are foundational for later mathematical achievement.

Keywords: Number sense skills First-grade students Classroom teachers Parental education levels Gender differences

References

Adler, N. E., Boyce, T., Chesney, M. A., Cohen, S., Folkman, S., Kahn, R. L., & Syme, S. L. (1994). Socioeconomic status and health: the challenge of the gradient. American psychologist, 49(1), 15. https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.49.1.15

Aikens, N. L., & Barbarin, O. (2008). Socioeconomic differences in reading trajectories: The contribution of family, neighborhood, and school contexts. Journal of educational psychology, 100(2), 235. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-0663.100.2.235

Anaya, L., Stafford, F. P., and andZamarro, G. (2017). Gender Gaps in Math Performance, Perceived Mathematical Ability and College STEM Education: The Role of Parental Occupation. EDRE Working Paper No. 2017-21. Available online at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3068971 https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3068971

Aunio, P., Ee, J., Lim, S. E. A., Hautamäki, J., & Van Luit, J. (2004). Young Children's Number Sense in Finland, Hong Kong and Singapore. International Journal of Early Years Education, 12(3), 195-216. https://doi.org/10.1080/0966976042000268681

Bakker, M., Torbeyns, J., Wijns, N., Verschaffel, L., & De Smedt, B. (2019). Gender equality in 4‐to 5‐year‐old preschoolers’ early numerical competencies. Developmental science, 22(1), e12718. https://doi.org/10.1111/desc.12718

Ball, D. L., Thames, M. H., & Phelps, G. (2008). Content knowledge for teaching: What makes it special? Journal of Teacher Education, 59(5), 389-407. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022487108324554

Barbaresi, W. J., Katusic, S. K., Colligan, R. C., Weaver, A. L., & Jacobs, S. J. (2005). Math learning disorder: incidence in a population-based birth cohort, 1976 – 82, Rochester, Minn. Ambul. Pediatr. 5, 281–289B. https://doi.org/10.1367/A04-209R.1

Bayak, N. (2016). Sınıf öğretmenlerinin sayı duyusu düzeyleri ve ilkokulu matematik öğretiminde kullanma durumları [Classroom teachers' number sense levels and their use in elementary mathematics teaching] [Unpublished master's thesis]. Pamukkale University.

Boaler, J. (1997). Experiencing school mathematics:Teaching styles, sex and setting. Open University Press.

Can, D. (2019). İlkokul dördüncü sınıf öğrencilerinin sayı duyusu performansının bazı değişkenler açısından incelenmesi [Examination of fourth-grade elementary students' number sense performance in terms of some variables]. Elementary Education Online, 18(4), 1751–1765. https://doi.org/10.17051/ilkonline.2019.639317

Carr, M., & Davis, H. (2001). Gender differences in mathematics strategy use: The influence of temperament. Learning and Individual Differences, 13(2), 85-95. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1041-6080(01)00057-5

Case, R., & Okamoto, Y. (1996). The role of central conceptual structures in the development of children’s thought. Monographs of the Society for Research in Child Development, i-295.

Charlesworth R. & Lind K. K. (2007). Math and science for young children (5th ed.). Clifton Park, NY, Delmar Learning.

Chen, P. C., Li, M. N., & Yang, D. C. (2013). An Effective Remedial Instruction in Number Sense for Third Graders in Taiwan. New Waves, 16(1), 3-21.

Cohen, J. (1988). Statistical power analysis for the behavioral sciences (2nd ed.). Erlbaum.

Courtney-Clarke, M. (2012). Number sense and number facts: How children understand and use numbers in mental mathematics. University of Pretoria.

Creswell, J. W. (2012). Educational research: Planning, conducting, and evaluating quantitative and qualitative research (4th ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson.

Cronbach, L. J. (1951). Coefficient alpha and the internal structure of tests. Psychometrika, 16(3), 297-334. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02310555

Davis-Kean, P. E. (2005). The influence of parent education and family income on child achievement: The indirect role of parental expectations and the home environment. Journal of Family Psychology, 19(2), 294-304. https://doi.org/10.1037/0893-3200.19.2.294

Dehaene, S. (2011). The number sense: How the mind creates mathematics (Revised and Expanded ed.). Oxford University Press.

Desimone, L. M., Porter, A. C., Garet, M. S., Yoon, K. S., & Birman, B. F. (2002). Effects of professional development on teachers' instruction: Results from a three-year longitudinal study. Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, 24(2), 81-112. https://doi.org/10.3102/01623737024002081

Downey, D. B. (1995). When bigger is not better: Family size, parental resources, and children's educational performance. American Sociological Review, 60(5), 746-761. https://doi.org/10.2307/2096320

Dyson, N. I., Jordan, N. C., & Glutting, J. (2013). A Number Sense Intervention for Low-Income Kindergartners at Risk for Mathematics Difficulties. Journal of Learning Disabilities, 46(2), 166-181. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022219411410233

Elliott, L., & Bachman, H. J. (2018). SES disparities in early math abilities: The contributions of parents’ math cognitions, practices to support math, and math talk. Developmental Review, 49, 1-15. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dr.2018.08.001

Else-Quest, N. M., Hyde, J. S., & Linn, M. C. (2010). Cross-national patterns of gender differences in mathematics: A meta-analysis. Psychological Bulletin, 136(1), 103-127. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0018053

Field, A. (2018). Discovering statistics using IBM SPSS Statistics (5th ed.). Sage.

Fuchs, L. S., Fuchs, D., & Karns, K. (2001). Enhancing kindergarten children's mathematical development: Effects of peer-assisted learning strategies. The Elementary School Journal, 101(5), 495-510. https://doi.org/10.1086/499684

Garet, M. S., Porter, A. C., Desimone, L., Birman, B. F., & Yoon, K. S. (2001). What makes professional development effective? Results from a national sample of teachers. American Educational Research Journal, 38(4), 915-945. https://doi.org/10.3102/00028312038004915

Geary, D.C. (1996). Sexual selection and sex differences in mathematical abilities. Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 19, 229–247. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0140525X00042400

Geary, D. C., Hoard, M. K., Nugent, L., & Ünal, Z. E. (2022). Sex differences in developmental pathways to mathematical competence. Journal of Educational Psychology, 115(2), 212–228. https://doi.org/10.1037/edu0000763

George, D., & Mallery, P. (2010). SPSS for Windows step by step: A simple guide and reference (10th ed.). Pearson.

Gersten, R., & Chard, D. J. (1999). Number sense: Rethinking arithmetic instruction for students with mathematical disabilities. The Journal of Special Education, 33(1), 18-28. https://doi.org/10.1177/002246699903300102

Gibbs, B.G. (2010). Reversing fortunes or content change? Gender gaps in math-related skill throughout childhood. Social Science Research, 39, 540–569. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssresearch.2010.02.005

Girden, E. R. (1992). ANOVA: Repeated measures. Sage. https://doi.org/10.4135/9781412983419

Ginsburg, H. P., Lee, J. S., & Boyd, J. S. (2008). Mathematics education for young children: What it is and how to promote it. Social Policy Report, 22(1), 3-23. https://doi.org/10.1002/j.2379-3988.2008.tb00054.x

Gözüm, A.İ.C., Özberk, E.H., Kaya, Ü.Ü., & Uyanık Aktulun, Ö. (2024). Number sense across the transition from preschool to elementary school: A Latent Profile Analysis. Early Childhood Educ J, 52, 1221–1243. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-023-01511-w

Gunderson, E. A., Ramirez, G., Beilock, S. L., & Levine, S. C. (2012). The relation between spatial skill and early number knowledge: The role of the linear number line. Developmental Psychology, 48(5), 1229–1241. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0027433

Gülbağcı Dede, H., & Şengül, S. (2016). İlköğretim ve ortaöğretim matematik öğretmen adaylarının sayı hissinin incelenmesi [Examination of number sense of prospective elementary and secondary mathematics teachers]. Turkish Journal of Computer and Mathematics Education, 7(2), 285–303. https://doi.org/10.16949/turcomat.96275

Harç, S. (2010). 6. sınıf öğrencilerinin sayı duyusu kavramı açısından mevcut durumlarının analizi [Analysis of sixth-grade students' current status in terms of number sense concept] [Unpublished master's thesis]. Marmara University.

Haroun, R. H., Ng, D., Abdelfattah, F., & Alsalouli, M. (2016). Gender difference in teachers’ mathematical knowledge for teaching in the context of single-sex classrooms. International Journal of Science and Mathematics Education, 14(2), 383–396. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10763-015-9631-8

Harris, D. N., & Sass, T. R. (2011). Teacher training, teacher quality and student achievement. Journal of public economics, 95(7-8), 798-812. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpubeco.2010.11.009

Hill, N. E., & Tyson, D. F. (2009). Parental involvement in middle school: a meta-analytic assessment of the strategies that promote achievement. Developmental psychology, 45(3), 740. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0015362

Howden, H. (1989). Teaching number sense. Arithmetic Teacher, 36(6), 6-11. https://doi.org/10.5951/AT.36.6.0006

Howell, S., & Kemp, C. (2005). Responding to mathematical learning difficulties: More than intervention. Australasian Journal of Special Education, 29(1), 29-39. https://doi.org/10.1080/1030011050290104

Hutchison, J., Lyons, I., & Ansari, D. (2017, 30 October). More similar than different: Gender differences in basic numeracy are the exception not the rule. http://psyarxiv.com/qk2zs. https://doi.org/10.31234/osf.io/qk2zs

Hyde, J. S., Fennema, E., & Lamon, S. J. (1990). Gender differences in mathematics performance: A meta-analysis. Psychological Bulletin, 107(2), 139-155. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.107.2.139

Hyde, J.S. (2005). The gender similarities hypothesis. American Psychologist, 60, 581–592. https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.60.6.581

Hyde, J.S., & Linn, M.C. (2006). Gender similarities in mathematics and science. Science, 314, 599–600. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1132154

Hyde, J.S., Lindberg, S.M., Linn, M.C., Ellis, A.B., & Williams, C.C. (2008). Gender similarities characterize math performance. Science, 321, 494–495. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1160364

Ilany, B. S. (2022). Why i chose to become a mathematics teacher? An analysis of the motivations behind the choice of profession based on gender, seniority, and age of students. Creative Education, 13(1), 183-202. https://doi.org/10.4236/ce.2022.131013

Işıkoğlu Erdoğan, N. (2016). Examination of child-parent shared reading activities in early childhood period. Kastamonu Education Journal, 24(3), 1071-1086.

Jordan, N. C., Huttenlocher, J., & Levine, S. C. (1992). Differential calculation abilities in young children from middle-and low-income families. Developmental Psychology, 28(4), 644. https://doi.org/10.1037/0012-1649.28.4.644

Jordan, N. C., Kaplan, D., Ramineni, C., & Locuniak, M. N. (2009). Early math matters: Kindergarten number competence and later mathematics outcomes. Developmental Psychology, 45(3), 850-867. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0014939

Jordan, N. C., Kaplan, D., Oláh, L. N., & Locuniak, M. N. (2006). Number sense growth in kindergarten: A longitudinal investigation of children at risk for mathematics difficulties. Child Development, 77(1), 153-175. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8624.2006.00862.x

Jordan, N. C., Kaplan, D., Locuniak, M. N., & Ramineni, C. (2007). Predicting first-grade math achievement from developmental number sense trajectories. Learning Disabilities Research & Practice, 22(1), 36–46. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-5826.2007.00229.x

Jordan, N. C., & Levine, S. C. (2009). Socioeconomic variation, number competence, and mathematics learning difficulties in young children. Developmental Disabilities Research Reviews, 15(1), 60–68. https://doi.org/10.1002/ddrr.46

Kalchman, M., Moss, J., & Case, R. (2001). Psychological models for the development of mathematical understanding: Rational numbers and functions. In S. Carver & D. Klahr (Eds.), Cognition and instruction: Twenty-five years of progress (pp. 1-38). Erlbaum.

Kandır, A., Yaşar, M., Yazıcı, E., Türkoğlu, D., & Baydar, I. (2016). Erken çocukluk eğitiminde matematik [Mathematics in early childhood education]. Morpa.

Kaya, Ü.Ü. (2023) Parental engagement and satisfaction in early childhood education: The mediating role of home literacy environment. [Unpublished doctoral dissertation]. Middle East Technical University.

Kayhan Altay, M. (2010). The number sense test. [Unpublished doctoral dissertation]. Hacettepe University.

Kayhan Altay, M., & Umay, A. (2011). Prospective elementary mathematics teachers' number sense. Hacettepe University Journal of Education, 41, 167-178.

Krinzinger, H., Kaufmann, L., Gregoire, J., Desoete, A., Nuerk, H.C., & Willmes, K. (2012). Gender differences in the development of numerical skills in four European countries. International Journal of Gender, Science and Technology, 4, 62–77.

Lachance, J.A., & Mazzocco, M.M. (2006). A longitudinal analysis of sex differences in math and spatial skills in primary school age children. Learning and Individual Differences, 16, 195–216. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lindif.2005.12.001

Li, M., Zhang, Y., Liu, H., & Hao, Y. (2018). Gender differences in mathematics achievement in Beijing: A meta-analysis. British Journal of Educational Psychology, 88(4), 566–583. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjep.12203

Lipton, J. S., & Spelke, E. S. (2003). Origins of number sense: Large-number discrimination in human infants. Psychological Science, 14(5), 396-401. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-9280.01453

Major, K. & Perger, P. (2014, June). Personal Number Sense and New Zealand Pre-Service Teachers. In The 37th Annual Conference of the Mathematics Education Research Group of Australasia, 260-268.

Mazzocco, M. M., & Thompson, R. E. (2005). Kindergarten predictors of math learning disability. Learning Disabilities Research & Practice, 20(3), 142-155. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-5826.2005.00129.x

Montgomery, D. C., Peck, E. A., & Vining, G. G. (2012). Introduction to linear regression analysis (5th ed.). Wiley.

Park, J., & Brannon, E. M. (2014). Improving arithmetic performance with number sense training: An investigation of underlying mechanism. Cognition, 133(1), 188-200. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cognition.2014.06.011

Pina, V., Martella, D., Chacón-Moscoso, S., Saracostti, M., & Fenollar-Cortés, J. (2021). Gender-based performance in mathematical facts and calculations in two elementary school samples from Chile and Spain: An exploratory study. Frontiers in Psychology, 12, 703580. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.703580

Reigosa-Crespo, V., Valdes-Sosa, M., Butterworth, B., Estevez, N., Rodriguez, M., Santos, E., et al. (2012). Basic numerical capacities and prevalence of developmental dyscalculia: the havana survey. Dev. Psychol. 48, 123–135. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0025356

Reilly, D., Neumann, D. L., & Andrews, G. (2014). Sex differences in mathematics and science achievement: A meta-analysis of National Assessment of Educational Progress assessments. Journal of Educational Psychology, 107(3), 645–662. https://doi.org/10.1037/edu0000012

Robinson, J.P., & Lubienski, S.T. (2011). The development of gender achievement gaps in mathematics and reading during elementary and middle school: Examining direct cognitive assessments and teacher ratings. American Educational Research Journal, 48, 268–302. https://doi.org/10.3102/0002831210372249

Schober, P., Boer, C., & Schwarte, L. A. (2018). Correlation coefficients: Appropriate use and interpretation. Anesthesia & Analgesia, 126(5), 1763-1768. https://doi.org/10.1213/ANE.0000000000002864

Shulman, L. S. (1986). Those who understand: Knowledge growth in teaching. Educational Researcher, 15(2), 4-14. https://doi.org/10.3102/0013189X015002004

Siegler, R. S., & Ramani, G. B. (2008). Playing linear numerical board games promotes low-income children’s numerical development. Developmental Science, 11(5), 655–661. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-7687.2008.00714.x.

Singh, P. (2009). An Assessment of Number Sense Among Secondary School Students. International Journal for Mathematics Teaching and Learning, 4(12), 1-29.

Son, S. H., & Morrison, F. J. (2010). The nature and impact of changes in home learning environment on development of language and academic skills in preschool children. Developmental psychology, 46(5), 1103. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0020065

Sowder, J. T. (1992). Making sense of numbers in school mathematics. In G. Leinhardt, R. Putnam, & R. A. Hattrup (Eds.), Analysis of arithmetic for mathematics teaching (pp. 1-51). Erlbaum.

Sowder, J. T., & Schappelle, B. P. (1994). Number sense-making: Teaching and learning mathematics. ERIC Clearinghouse for Science, Mathematics, and Environmental Education.

Spelke, E.S. (2005). Sex differences in intrinsic aptitude for mathematics and science? A critical review. American Psychologist, 60, 950–958. https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.60.9.950

Stafslien, C. (2001). Mathematics education and gender. ERIC Clearinghouse.

Starkey, P., Klein, A., & Wakeley, A. (2004). Enhancing young children’s mathematical knowledge through a pre-kindergarten mathematics intervention. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 19(1), 99–120. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecresq.2004.01.002

Stoet, G., & Geary, D.C. (2013). Sex differences in mathematics and reading achievement are inversely related: Within- and across-nation assessment of 10 years of PISA data. PLoS ONE, 8, e57988. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0057988

Şengül, S. & Gülbağcı Dede, H. (2013). Sayı Hissi Bileşenlerine Ait Sınıflandırmaların İncelenmesi. The Journal of Academic Social Science Studies, 8(6), 645-664. https://doi.org/10.9761/JASSS1000

Şirin, S. R. (2005). Socioeconomic status and academic achievement: A meta-analytic review of research. Review of Educational Research, 75(3), 417-453. https://doi.org/10.3102/00346543075003417

Tabachnick, B. G., & Fidell, L. S. (2013). Using multivariate statistics (6th ed.). Pearson.

Takır, A. (2016). 6., 7. ve 8. sınıf öğrencilerinin sayı duyusu becerilerinin bazı değişkenler açısından incelenmesi [Examination of number sense skills of 6th, 7th, and 8th-grade students in terms of some variables]. Dicle Üniversitesi Ziya Gökalp Eğitim Fakültesi Dergisi [Dicle University Ziya Gökalp Faculty of Education Journal], 29, 309–323.

Teddlie, C., & Yu, F. (2007). Mixed methods sampling: A typology with examples. Journal of Mixed Methods Research, 1(1), 77-100. https://doi.org/10.1177/1558689806292430

Tukey, J. W. (1977). Exploratory data analysis. Addison-Wesley.

Tsao, Y. L. (2005). The number sense of preservice elementary school teachers. College Student Journal, 39(4), 647-679.

Tsao, Y. L., & Lin, Y. M. (2011). Number sense development in early childhood education: The role of teaching strategies and environmental factors. Lambert Academic Publishing.

Uyanık Aktulun, Ö. (2019). Validity and Reliability Study of Turkish Version of Number Sense Screener for Children Aged 72-83 Months. Journal of Education and Training Studies, 7(2), 64-75. https://doi.org/10.11114/jets.v7i2.3935

Yaman, H. (2015). Sınıf düzeylerine göre öğretmen adaylarının sayı duyusu performansları [Number sense performances of prospective teachers according to grade levels]. Kastamonu Education Journal, 23(2), 739–754.

Yang, D. C. (2003). Teaching and learning number sense: An intervention study of fifth grade students in Taiwan. Educational Studies, 29(4), 379-398. https://doi.org/10.1080/0305569032000159697

Yang, D. C., Reys, R. E., & Reys, B. J. (2009). Number sense strategies used by pre-service teachers in Taiwan. International Journal of Science and Mathematics Education, 7(2), 383-403. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10763-008-9130-6

Yenilmez, K., & Yıldız, Ş. (2018). 7. sınıf öğrencilerinin rasyonel sayılar konusunda kullandıkları sayı duyusu stratejilerinin incelenmesi [Examination of number sense strategies used by 7th-grade students on rational numbers]. Journal of Theoretical Educational Science, 11(3), 457–485. https://doi.org/10.30831/akukeg.349650

Zadeh, Z. Y., Farnia, F., & Ungerleider, C. (2010). How home enrichment mediates the relationship between maternal education and children's achievement in reading and math. Early Education and Development, 21(4), 568-594. https://doi.org/10.1080/10409280903118424

Unveiling the numerical insights: A study on number sense skills of first graders and their teachers

Abstract

References

Suggested Article

Cookie Notice