Learning to measure through action and gesture: Children's prior knowledge matters

Area of Science:

• Cognitive Psychology
• Educational Psychology
• Mathematics Education

Background:

• Physical action, including gesture, aids children's learning of mathematical concepts.
• Gesture differs from action-on-objects by lacking direct interaction with external materials.
• Comparing gesture and action-on-objects can reveal differential learning benefits.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate if children's prior knowledge of linear units of measure interacts with learning from action- versus gesture-based instruction.
• To determine the differential efficacy of action- and gesture-based learning based on individual differences in conceptual understanding.

Main Methods:

• Assessed first-grade children's prior knowledge of linear units of measure using pretest strategies.
• Provided action-based and gesture-based instruction on linear units.
• Analyzed learning gains based on pretest strategy and movement type (action vs. gesture).

Main Results:

• Children with rudimentary pretest strategies benefited from action-based but not gesture-based instruction.
• Children with more advanced (though incorrect) pretest strategies learned from both action and gesture.
• An interaction was observed between prior conceptual knowledge and the type of movement instruction.

Conclusions:

• Individual differences in children's prior mathematical knowledge significantly influence the effectiveness of movement-based learning.
• Action-based instruction may be more beneficial for learners with less developed conceptual understanding.
• Gesture-based instruction can be effective for learners with more advanced, albeit imperfect, conceptual knowledge.