The Study On The Development Of Computational Estimation Strategy Choices In Children Aged 9-12

Computational estimation is very important in everyday life, as oneof the most important aspects of estimation. Meanwhile, the training ofcomputational estimation contributes to children's overall awareness andgeneral understanding in the calculation or measurement. It also canpromote children's proper judgment of space and better understanding toquantity. To select appropriate strategies is a key factor in computationalestimating. The study on the development of selection of computationalestimation has important theoretical and practical significance.According to the child development theory in computationalestimation (Case 1990) strategy mode theory (Siegler 1996, 1998) andthe general framework of children's cognitive strategies promoted byLemaire and Siegler, we analyzed the selection of computationalestimation strategies in children aged 9-12. The main purpose of thisstudy was to investigate the developmental characteristics in children'scomputational estimation strategy choices by examining the estimatingresults (accuracy, reaction time) and strategy choices (number ofstrategies, the best strategy hit rate) of children in grade four, five andsix.Our study consisted of three parts. The first research was going toexplore whether there are differences in estimated level of developmentstatus between previous research and our research by examining theperformance differences in integral estimation of children aged9-12.The second research was going to investigate the developmentalcharacteristics in children's computational estimation strategy choicesand gender differences of children aged 9-12 by examining the performance differences in integral estimation. The third research wasgoing to explore the differences in children's computational estimationstrategy choices in two conditions: strategic directions and no strategicdirections.The result of our study indicated that the children in grade four hadthe multiplication estimation abilities with reasonable estimation.Children's strategy choices and estimation results were influenced byage and problem characteristics. With the increase of age, the estimatedlevel and number of strategies increased, the best strategy hit rateshowed upward trend. Grade four to five (about 10years old) was thecritical period of integral estimation, which approved Case's theory(1990). Children tended to use more strategies to solve the same type ofintegral estimation and chose computational estimation strategies in anadaptive way, which confirmed Siegler's strategy mode theory. Nogender differences existed in computational estimation strategy choicesof children aged 9-12. Short-term strategy skills training or strategicdirections had a positive impact on children's computational estimationand promoted the development of children's computational estimationstrategy choices.