Specific influences of working memory and basic facts on arithmetic achievement in fourth-graders

Abstract

Working memory capacity and retrieval of basic arithmetic facts turned out to be determinants of advanced arithmetic performance. However, are different arithmetic operations influenced by the same factors? This study examines the influences of working memory and knowledge of basic facts on different measures of advanced arithmetic achievement. Additionally, the relationships between the measures of arithmetic achievement are considered. Forty-three children performed arithmetic fact retrieval and advanced arithmetic tasks (three-digit addition and subtraction tasks, single-digit multiplication and the arithmetic part of a mathematics test) at the end of elementary school years. Additionally, phonological loop and central executive functioning were assessed. Only moderate relationships were found between the advanced arithmetic measures. Influences of basic fact knowledge and working memory depended on the type of the measure of arithmetic achievement. Consequently, arithmetic skills should be considered separately in order to detect students' needs for advancement or in order to identify determinants of arithmetic performance.