Children’s performance on untimed and timed algorithmic computation tasks: the roles of executive functioning, maths test anxiety and basic maths fact fluency

Abstract

This study explored whether executive functioning skills and maths test anxiety were associated with children’s untimed and timed algorithmic computational performance and their discrepancy. It also investigated whether such relations were moderated by children’s basic maths fact fluency. One hundred and thirty third-graders were rated by teachers regarding their executive functioning skills. Moreover, they self-reported their maths test anxiety level and were tested on various maths skills. Results showed that for untimed computational performance, working memory was a correlate among children low in basic maths fact fluency, whereas maths test anxiety was a correlate among all children. Planning/organization and maths test anxiety were correlates of timed computational performance, regardless of the basic maths fact fluency level. As for discrepancy in computational performance across the two conditions, maths test anxiety was a correlate among children low in basic maths fact fluency. Implications on how to promote children’s algorithmic computation were discussed.

Keywords:

• Algorithmic computation
• executive functioning
• maths test anxiety
• basic maths fact fluency
• timed test

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This study was supported by the research grant MYRG2017-00217-FED from University of Macau awarded to Juan Zhang and grant Shanghai Philosophy and Social Science Planning Youth Project [2020EYY004] awarded to Chenggang Wu.