Mathematical competence in Early Childhood Education: a comparative study of three teaching methodologies

Abstract

INTRODUCTION. How to work at knowledge acquisition and competence development is particularly important in Early Childhood Education, and the methodology used in the classroom could be the key. The aim of this paper is to assess and compare the level of mathematical competence in a numeric context with students of the 3rd year of Early Childhood Education, according to three methodologies (Centers of Interest, Games and Narratives and Cooperative Learning). METHOD. We have applied The Evolutionary-Curricular Mathematics Test (ECMT) to a sample of 181 students from 9 schools of the Autonomous Comunity of Madrid (Madrid region). On the one hand, a descriptive and differential analysis was used to analyze the knowledge acquisition and the development of mathematical competence in a numeric context, based on the methodology used in the classroom. On the other hand, we have carried out a cluster analysis in order to identify the profiles of students based on their level of mathematical competence in the context of study. RESULTS. The results show that the students following the Cooperative methodology have significantly higher levels in Verbal numbering, Visual numbering, Number sense, Mental calculus and Problem solving (p <0.01). Three profiles of students have been identified based on their level of mathematical competence. The conglomerate formed by students with a methodology based on Cooperative Learning has a higher level of competence development. DISCUSSION. The results of the study show that the use of methodologies based on cooperative learning in the Early Childhood Education favor the acquisition and development of mathematical competences in the numeric context.