数学教育中教具的使用践行了杜威所提“从做中学”这一影响深远的教育理念，然而其背后的认知神经机制尚未明确，而传统的脑成像技术亦无法探明自然情境下使用教具时的脑活动。本项目拟采用功能近红外成像技术揭示儿童在自然情境下使用数学教具(七巧板和算术卡牌)时，其数学问题解决过程的认知模型，及其背后的认知神经基础。本项目拟分析一、四年级及成人被试的任务态脑激活、静息态脑活动复杂性、脑功能网络拓扑属性、有向脑功能网络等脑功能指标，从而全面刻画儿童使用教具时的大脑皮层活动模式。更重要的是，通过对脑发育指标的量化，并结合不同年龄组被试在空间工作记忆任务中的脑激活，本项目拟揭示一个多脑区协同作用的、空间工作记忆参与的、受脑发育程度影响的自然情境数学问题解决过程的认知神经模型。这一模型有助于形成一套评价教具是否有效激发目标认知过程的、基于脑影像证据的评估监测体系，从而促进教育神经科学领域的发展。

Using teaching aids in mathematics education is an example of Dewey's far-reaching educational philosophy of "learning by doing". However, its cognitive neural mechanisms remain obscure, and conventional brain imaging techniques could not probe brain activity during using teaching aids in natural environments. The current project proposes to use functional near-infrared spectroscopy to reveal the cognitive model of children's mathematical problem-solving processes and the cognitive neural basis behind them when using mathematical teaching aids, tangram and arithmetic cards, in naturalistic environments. By analyzing task-evoked brain activation, complexity of resting-state brain activity, topological properties of brain functional networks, and directional brain functional networks in first- and fourth-grade and adult participants, this project aims to comprehensively characterize the cortical activity patterns of children when using teaching aids. More importantly, by quantifying brain developmental and combining brain activation in spatial working memory tasks in participants of different age groups, this project proposes to reveal a cognitive-neural model of mathematical problem-solving in naturalistic environments, which is multi-brain region synergistic, spatial working memory-involved, and is influenced by brain development. This model can be used to develop a brain imaging evidence based evaluative monitoring system, that evaluates the efficacy of teaching aids in evoking target cognitive processes, thus enhances the knowledge in educational neuroscience.