The relationship between mental computation and relational thinking in the seventh grade

Abstract

Relational thinking involves understanding equivalence and numerical relationships. The present study examined the relational thinking of seventh graders before and after a 15-day mental mathematics intervention in the context of whole number arithmetic. Using two intact seventh-grade classes and a staggered treatment design, students were assessed at three time points on their (a) ability to solve equivalence problems, and (b) reasoning abilities about true--false number sentences. The results indicated that the students in the class that received the intervention first (the Intervention First group) improved their performance on both measures after the intervention, and a similar pattern was found for the second class (the Intervention Second group), indicating that each group improved immediately following the mental mathematics intervention. Students in the Intervention First group were able to maintain their scores on the test of equivalence problems 4 weeks after the conclusion of the intervention. As the results suggest a link between mental mathematics and relational thinking, it is recommended that mental mathematics play a more prominent role in the seventh-grade mathematics classroom.