“Measuring and Modeling Arithmetic Strategy Usage in Children.”

项目总结/摘要 基本的数学技能，有时被称为功能计算能力，是成功的日常必不可少的 生活和与健康的重要社会决定因素（例如，就业，工作晋升， 收入、财务知识、健康知识）1-3。非裔美国儿童，其中许多人是非- 美国英语的主流方言4 -6，不太可能达到基本的数学能力比他们的 白色同龄人7 -9岁，更有可能努力获得功能性计算能力。一个有希望的，但在很大程度上 未探索的，理解功能计算能力实现差异的方法，具体来说，是 研究幼儿算术策略的使用情况。儿童的策略选择及其策略模式 执行策略时的错误是功能性数字发展的重要指标10- 15.两个孩子的能力（例如，工作记忆）和项目特征（例如，问题大小）似乎可以预测儿童的 算术策略使用10 - 15，13，14，16 - 19，17，20.然而，研究并没有同时考察儿童的能力和项目。 在全面的测量模型的功能，也没有审查的可能性，非洲裔美国人， 由于文化语言因素，儿童可能会遇到独特的问题需求。 测量理论和可用统计软件的最新进展为研究人员提供了 有机会综合和扩大目前的理解儿童的战略选择使用先进的 潜变量建模技术21 -27.这些技术特别适用于检查测试有效性， 这一问题对于理解儿童的算术策略使用模式特别重要， 由于文化因素，可能会遇到测量偏差。拟议项目的总体目标是 用现有的N=872个数据集检验儿童算术策略使用的测量模型 儿童，并扩展这些模型对理解独特的数学学习的挑战， 非裔美国儿童在识别数学学习困难的敏感时期（即， 小学和中学之间的过渡期，即儿童期后期和青春期初期）28、29 拟议的博士后NRSA有以下具体目标和相关的培训目标： 具体目标1：使用现有的认知和行为数据集来测试关系的解释模型 1年级儿童算术策略使用与数学能力的关系。 相关培训：通过继续进行理论培训， 算术认知和心理测量学的应用。 具体目标2：对N=100名使用非裔美国人药物的非裔美国儿童进行试点测试 英语方言（AAE）在第1 - 3年，建立在目标1中检查的初始测量模型的结果。 相关培训：心理测量理论方面的持续指导将有助于实现这一目标。 和算术认知的测量，以及在以社区为基础的研究与非洲- 美国人口。

PROJECT SUMMARY / ABSTRACT Basic mathematical skills, sometimes referred to as functional numeracy, are essential for successful everyday living and are associated with important social determinants of health (e.g., employment, job promotion, income, financial literacy, health literacy)1–3. African American children, many of whom are speakers of a non- mainstream dialect of American English4–6, are less likely to attain basic mathematical competence than their White peers7–9 and are more likely to struggle to attain functional numeracy. One promising, yet largely unexplored, way of understanding disparities in the attainment of functional numeracy, specifically, is to examine arithmetic strategy usage in young children. Children's selections of strategies and their patterns of errors during the execution of strategies are important indicators of the development of functional numeracy10– 15. Both child abilities (e.g., working memory) and item features (e.g., problem-size) appear to predict children's arithmetic strategy usage10–15,13,14,16–19,17,20. However, research has not examined both child abilities and item features in comprehensive measurement models, nor has it examined the possibility that African American children may encounter unique problem demands as a result of cultural-linguistic factors. Recent advances in measurement theory and available statistical software present researchers with the opportunity to synthesize and expand current understandings of children's strategy selections using advanced latent variable modeling techniques21–27. These techniques are particularly suited for examining test validity, an issue which is particularly important for understanding the arithmetic strategy usage patterns of children who may encounter measurement bias as a result of cultural factors. The overall goal of the proposed project is to examine measurement models of children's arithmetic strategy usage with an extant dataset of N=872 children, and to extend these models toward understanding the unique mathematics learning challenges of African American children during a sensitive period for the identification of mathematics learning difficulty (i.e., the transition period between elementary and middle grades, during late childhood and early adolescence)28,29 The proposed postdoctoral NRSA has the following specific aims and associated training objectives: Specific Aim 1: To use extant cognitive and behavioral datasets to test explanatory models of relations between children’s arithmetic strategy usage and mathematical competence in year 1. Associated Training: Achievement of this aim will be facilitated by continued training in the theories and applications of both arithmetic cognition and psychometrics. Specific Aim 2: To conduct pilot testing with N=100, African American children who use African American English dialect (AAE) in years 1 - 3, building on results from initial measurement models examined in Aim 1. Associated Training: Achievement of this aim will be facilitated by ongoing mentorship in psychometric theory and measurement of arithmetic cognition, as well as mentorship in community-based research with African- American populations.