MetaMath

The development of arithmetic skills plays a crucial role in our knowledge-based societies. It forms a central basis for the individual's participation in economic, cultural and social activities. Research has shown that metacognitive regulation plays an important role in arithmetic learning. Metacognitive regulation refers to a group of self-reflective and higher-level mental activities that monitor and control other mental activities, such as mental computation. While monitoring involves evaluating how well these mental activities are performed (e.g. I made a math error), control involves adjusting mental activities to improve subsequent performance (e.g. I change my math strategy). It is well known that individuals differ substantially in their metacognitive abilities and that these differences influence concurrent and future arithmetic performance. In this bilateral research project, we will use behavioral and neuroimaging methods (electroencephalography, EEG) to investigate the mechanisms that support metacognitive abilities in the context of solving and learning arithmetic problems. Children and adults will participate in cross-sectional and longitudinal studies to investigate the brain mechanisms that support the relationship between metacognitive abilities, computational performance and learning to compute. The results of these research projects will provide new insights into the neurocognitive mechanisms of metacognitive regulation and their importance for numeracy learning. The knowledge gained will be of great importance and interest to scientists and educators working in the field of mathematics.

Information on the project:

• Funded by the Austrian Science Fund (FWF, I 6354-G) and the Research Foundation Flanders (FWO)

• Duration: August 31, 2023 - August 30, 2027