Enhancing Early Number Learning: Effects of an 8- Week Abacus Training Intervention on Subitising, Counting, and Motivation
type: CreativeWork
description: “Subitizing and counting are children’s main strategies for quantification” (Sarama & Clements, 2009, p. 79). The development of subitising and counting skills and their relationship have attracted considerable attention from researchers from both cognitive psychology and mathematics education. However, current literature highlights that more studies are needed to understand the relationship between affective and cognitive aspects of learning mathematics (Steffe, 2017). Despite efforts by early years mathematics educators and policymakers to prioritise counting and number learning, many children continue to struggle to meet expected standards in this area globally (e.g., Department for Education, 2017; Steffe, 2017). This study addressed the current research gap by exploring how structure interventions, such as abacus training might support the development of both subitising and counting, as well as the affective aspects of early number learning among young learners. It also responded to the practical gap between early mathematical education objectives and the persistent challenges faced by many young children, with the aim to inform both teaching practice and curriculum development. This mixed-method study examined the effects of an 8-week abacus training intervention on reception-year-aged students’ subitising and counting skills in England. It explored both the cognitive and affective aspects of number learning in the early years, considering the relationship between children’s early number skills and their motivational profiles. Using a quasi-experimental research design, the study consisted of three phases: pre- tests, intervention in the form of teaching experiment sessions, and post-tests for both the experimental and control groups. The total sample consisted of 49 participants. Participants aged from 56 months to 68 months (M = 62.12 months, SD = 12.61), 47% of the students were female (N = 23), and 53% of the students were male (N = 26). The experimental g…
abstract: “Subitizing and counting are children’s main strategies for quantification” (Sarama & Clements, 2009, p. 79). The development of subitising and counting skills and their relationship have attracted considerable attention from researchers from both cognitive psychology and mathematics education. However, current literature highlights that more studies are needed to understand the relationship between affective and cognitive aspects of learning mathematics (Steffe, 2017). Despite efforts by early years mathematics educators and policymakers to prioritise counting and number learning, many children continue to struggle to meet expected standards in this area globally (e.g., Department for Education, 2017; Steffe, 2017). This study addressed the current research gap by exploring how structure interventions, such as abacus training might support the development of both subitising and counting, as well as the affective aspects of early number learning among young learners. It also responded to the practical gap between early mathematical education objectives and the persistent challenges faced by many young children, with the aim to inform both teaching practice and curriculum development. This mixed-method study examined the effects of an 8-week abacus training intervention on reception-year-aged students’ subitising and counting skills in England. It explored both the cognitive and affective aspects of number learning in the early years, considering the relationship between children’s early number skills and their motivational profiles. Using a quasi-experimental research design, the study consisted of three phases: pre- tests, intervention in the form of teaching experiment sessions, and post-tests for both the experimental and control groups. The total sample consisted of 49 participants. Participants aged from 56 months to 68 months (M = 62.12 months, SD = 12.61), 47% of the students were female (N = 23), and 53% of the students were male (N = 26). The experimental g…
author: Lin, Sisi
language: eng
keywords: Subitising, counting, motivation, early number learning
license: https://www.repository.cam.ac.uk/bitstreams/e9fd37bb-5155-4cad-8ab8-6d6b1f958465/download
license: http://purl.org/NET/rdflicense/allrightsreserved
date published: 2025-07-28
date modified: 2026-07-22T22:24:04Z
provider: Cambridge University
publisher: Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations
type: WebPage
source organization: University of Cambridge

PropertyValue
property ID: DOI
value: 10.17863/CAM.121768