Are Differences between Social Classes Reduced by Non-Symbolic Numerical Tasks? Evidence from the ELFE Cohort

Autor/inn/en	Fischer, Jean-Paul; Thierry, Xavier
Titel	Are Differences between Social Classes Reduced by Non-Symbolic Numerical Tasks? Evidence from the ELFE Cohort
Quelle	In: British Journal of Educational Psychology, 91 (2021) 1, S.286-299 (14 Seiten)Infoseite zur Zeitschrift PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Zusatzinformation	ORCID (Fischer, Jean-Paul)
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	0007-0998
DOI	10.1111/bjep.12363
Schlagwörter	Social Differences; Social Class; Preschool Children; Numeracy; Mathematics Skills; Foreign Countries; Socioeconomic Status; Family Income; Parent Background; Mothers; Scores; Economically Disadvantaged; France + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Sozialer Unterschied; Social classes; Soziale Klasse; Pre-school age; Preschool age; Child; Children; Pre-school education; Preschool education; Vorschulalter; Kind; Kinder; Vorschulkind; Vorschulkinder; Vorschulerziehung; Vorschule; Rechenkompetenz; Mathmatics achievement; Mathematics ability; Mathematische Kompetenz; Ausland; Socio-economic status; Sozioökonomischer Status; Familieneinkommen; Elternhaus; Mother; Mutter; Frankreich
Abstract	Background: Young children's mathematics abilities may be divided between symbolic and non-symbolic skills. Lower performance of SES disadvantaged versus advantaged children has already been established in symbolic math. Aim: This study aimed to verify the effect of children's SES category on non-symbolic mathematical (numerical) performance. Sample: The main sample comprises 4,955 children from the French longitudinal study, ELFE, tested when they were in the nursery school (4- to 5-year-olds). Method: The distinction between symbolic and non-symbolic math skills based on the specific math assessment items used in the present study was verified on a larger sample. The SES-related difference in non-symbolic math skills was then examined in the ELFE sample only. Results: The children's performance in non-symbolic maths is significantly and almost as strongly correlated with their family's income and their mother's level of education as their performances in symbolic maths. Linear regression mixed-effects modelling shows that the score in non-symbolic maths (out of 100) of children from families with below median income is 3.8 points lower than that of their peers from families with above median income. Conclusion: Children from disadvantaged SES backgrounds perform significantly lower than those from advantaged backgrounds in non-symbolic maths. Even if non-symbolic math skills retain an educational interest, they should not reduce the importance of symbolic math skills in young children. (As Provided).
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Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2024/1/01