Research on numerical cognition in Mexico ( Investigación sobre cognición numérica en México )

Abstract

In Mexico, by the end of compulsory education, half of the junior high school students attain the lowest level in international maths assessments. To reach a better understanding of how people learn mathematical skills and how to improve in teaching methods, researchers have looked at the intersection of cognitive psychology and maths education: the field of numerical cognition. However, there is a limited amount of research with Mexican students. This paper provides an overview of the studies published to date. This overview shows that research started with an interest in how to evaluate maths skills and identify children with maths difficulties; however, in the last five years, researchers have started to study younger and atypical populations using more diverse methods. The field of numerical cognition in Mexico is still emerging; however, in years to come, there should be additional informative and exciting research from laboratories in Mexico.