Susan Levine

In this project, researchers will explore malleable factors related to elementary students' use of spatial tools, such as diagrams, charts, and sketches, during mathematics problem solving. Despite research showing strong relations between spatial skill and mathematics, research also indicates learners do not always benefit from spatial supports, and numerous pedagogical considerations can impact their effectiveness (. Student factors such as working memory or fluid reasoning also can modera...

Previous research shows that children and adults who perform better on spatial tasks also perform better on tests of mathematical ability. However, the relation between spatial and math ability is not yet well understood. This grant will conduct studies to clarify which aspects of spatial ability relate to different aspects of math performance, and gather evidence regarding whether training to improve spatial ability also improves math performance. Results will lay the groundwork for the dev...

The goal of this project was to explore how young students' mathematics anxiety and attitudes relate to their mathematics achievement, as well as the cognitive factors that mediate identified anxiety-achievement relations. In addition, the researchers explored the relation between teachers' math anxiety and students' math achievement. Individuals who have negative attitudes about mathematics are often high in mathematics anxiety. Math anxious individuals also tend to have poor math knowledge...