Spatial Working Memory in Primary School Children: Age-Related Characteristics and Relationship with Mathematical Achievement
Introduction. Spatial working memory supports the storage and processing of numerical and geometric information, influencing the success in mathematical learning. Its characteristics change with age, and gender differences are reflected in problem-solving strategies, impacting the academic performance of primary school children. Goals & objectives. The study aims to analyze differences in spatial working memory in primary school children depending on age and gender and to examine its relationship with mathematical achievement. Materials and methods. The study involved 776 primary school students (47.04% girls) ages 8 to 10 from three regions of the Russian Federation. Spatial working memory was assessed using the Corsi Block Test, while mathematics achievement was evaluated based on school grades. Data were analyzed using the Mann-Whitney U-test, one-way ANOVA, and Pearson correlation analysis in Jamovi 2.3.28. Results. The study revealed a consistent improvement in spatial working memory with age, which is expressed in an increase in the number of correct answers and a decrease in the average reaction time to tasks. Gender differences were manifested to the advantage of boys in the number of correct answers and the speed of completing tasks, while the total test completion time did not demonstrate significant differences between the groups. Correlation analysis showed a weak but statistically significant relationship between the results of the Corsi Block test and academic performance in mathematics. These data confirm the importance of cognitive mechanisms, such as spatial working memory, in the formation of academic skills. Conclusion. The identified age and gender differences in spatial working memory in primary school children reflect its quantitative changes, expressed in the dynamics of the accuracy and speed of completing tasks. The results emphasize the importance of spatial working memory as one of the important cognitive factors of mathematical success and substantiate the need to develop educational strategies that take into account the age and gender characteristics of the cognitive functioning of primary school children.
Keywords
working memory,
spatial working memory,
age-related characteristics,
gender differences,
academic achievement,
cognitive processesAuthors
| Persiyantseva Svetlana V. | Federal Scientific Center of Psychological and Multidisciplinary Researches | perssvetlana@yandex.ru |
| Marakshina Yulia A. | Federal Scientific Center of Psychological and Multidisciplinary Researches | retalika@yandex.ru |
| Ismatullina Victoria I. | Federal Scientific Center of Psychological and Multidisciplinary Researches | victoria2686@gmail.com |
| Samerkhanova Elvira K. | Kozma Minin Nizhny Novgorod State Pedagogical University | samerkhanovaek@gmail.com |
| Malykh Sergey B. | Federal Scientific Center of Psychological and Multidisciplinary Researches | malykhsb@mail.ru |
Всего: 5
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