Dept of Mathematics Education seminar: 15 October 2025

[14:00-15:00] (40 mins Presentation + 20 mins Q&A): Nina Bażela & Dr Michał Obidziński

Copernicus Center for Interdisciplinary Studies, Jagiellonian University

[nina.bazela@doctoral.uj.edu.pl, michal.obidzinski@uj.edu.pl]

Getting the gist: a fuzzy-trace theory approach to mathematical cognition

Abstract

While the links between working memory and mathematical ability are well-documented, the role of long-term memory remains a surprisingly underexplored area in mathematical cognition. This seminar will introduce a new approach to addressing this gap by applying fuzzy-trace theory - a framework developed by Reyna and Brainerd - to the field of mathematical cognition. Traditionally used to explain phenomena in developmental psychology and reasoning, the theory’s distinction between precise, literal memory (verbatim) and intuitive, meaning-based memory (gist) provides a powerful lens for examining associations between specific memory processes and skills typically measured in the area of mathematical cognition.

This presentation will first discuss the findings from the presenters' recent work, which investigated the associations between these fine-grained memory processes and various mathematical skills. Subsequently, the lecture will outline the next steps in this research programme, a grant-funded project designed to apply fuzzy-trace theory to understand the structure of long-term memory, working memory and arithmetic fact retrieval in individuals with developmental dyscalculia. The seminar will showcase how adapting an established theoretical framework can generate new insights into the cognitive architecture of both typical and atypical mathematical skills.

[16:00-17:00]  (40 mins Presentation + 20 mins Q&A): Prof. Elida Laski

Lynch School of Education and Human Development, Boston College 

[elida.laski@bc.edu]

Turning the page: Toward a better understanding of adult math talk during storybook reading

Abstract

Shared-book reading is a promising avenue for enriching informal adult-child math interactions at home. Many parents report reading to their children on a daily basis and often express a stronger preference for literacy-based activities over math-focused ones. Thus, storybooks provide a familiar context for parents to introduce and reinforce early mathematical concepts. In fact, a growing body of work points to the value of storybooks for stimulating parent math-talk and promoting children’s math learning. Yet, there is much still to learn about ways to maximize the value of shared-reading for math learning. In this presentation, I will present a series of studies that investigated which characteristics of math-related storybooks seem most likely to promote extratextual parent-child math-talk and the ways in which parents invite their children to engage in math-talk during shared book-reading.