2004 Fiscal Year Final Research Report Summary

Studies about development of the unit concept for amounts through the internalization of cognitive tools and mathematical thinking

Research Project

Project/Area Number	14510147
Research Category	Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
Allocation Type	Single-year Grants
Section	一般
Research Field	教育・社会系心理学
Research Institution	HIROSHIMA UNIVERSITY
Principal Investigator	YUZAWA Masamichi Hiroshima University, Graduate School of Education, Associate Professor, 大学院・教育学研究科, 助教授 (10253238)
Project Period (FY)	2002 – 2004
Keywords	mathematics / concepts / thinking / development / infants / amount
Research Abstract	The purpose of the present research was to examine how the uses and internalization of cognitive tools are related with the development of quantity concepts and mathematical thinking. The research questions were twofold : 1.do children from 3 to 6 years understand that the unit of amounts should be the same? 2.how are the uses and internalization of cognitive tools related with the development of the unit concept and mathematical thinking? The main findings obtained were as follows : 1.Many 3-year-olds divided an amount into many parts and understand the amount in terms of number knowledge. 2.Children from 4 years of ages paid attention to a unit of amount, but made incorrect judgment for amounts under a misleading condition. 3.Children from 5 and half years of ages used superimposition spontaneously and internalized it, and made correct judgment for amounts even under a misleading condition.