Forrester1995
| Forrester1995 | |
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| BibType | ARTICLE |
| Key | Forrester1995 |
| Author(s) | Michael A. Forrester, Beatrice Shire |
| Title | The Influence of Object Size, Dimension and Prior Context on Children's Estimation Abilities |
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| Tag(s) | primary mathematics education, estimation skills, children |
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| Year | 1995 |
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| Journal | Educational Psychology |
| Volume | 14 |
| Number | 4 |
| Pages | 451–465 |
| URL | Link |
| DOI | 10.1080/0144341940140407 |
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Abstract
In primary mathematics education the ability to approximate and estimate is considered to be a core skill and previous research has implicated the importance of maturational and contextual factors on estimating abilities. This experiment examines the influence of object size, dimensionality and prior context (i.e. a previous estimate judgement) on primary aged children's estimates (aged 8 to 11 years). Utilising a ‘volume’ task and following a pre‐test assessment of their mathematical skills, children were asked how many small cubes would fit into a larger box, varied in size and dimension (length, width and height). The procedure employed also permitted an examination of the role of a prior estimate on a current judgement. The results indicated that older children can take into account more than one factor bearing on an estimate, particularly with reference to a prior estimate judgement. Furthermore, rather than mathematical ability predicting estimating skill, successful estimators employ strategies which favour caution in the face on an unknown, yet recognisably important, variable or variables.
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