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Mathematical or Computational Thinking? An Early Years Perspective

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Book cover Mathematical Learning and Cognition in Early Childhood

Abstract

Many young children begin school already as significant users of technology. Increasingly, there has been a demand for engaging all school-age children to engage in computational thinking (CT) so that their ability to also be producers of technology in the future is enhanced. CT includes cognitive processes and practices that are algorithmic in nature, may or may not use a computer, are drawn from computer science, and are used to help in problem solving or the execution of simple and complex tasks. In this research, we worked with kindergarten teachers to explore whether CT was evident in children’s free play and the relationship between CT and mathematical thinking (MT). In addition to advancing their own understanding of CT, teachers found considerable overlap between CT and MT in activities engaged in by the children.

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Acknowledgements

Thank you to Wilfrid Laurier University teacher education candidate Nicole Singer for her research support during this study. This research was funded by a Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada Partnership Grant to the first author (grant co-PI).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Huron University (at Western University), London, ON, Canada

    Donna Kotsopoulos

  2. Faculty of Education, Western University, London, ON, Canada

    Lisa Floyd

  3. Faculty of Science, Wilfrid Laurier University, Waterloo, ON, Canada

    Vivian Nelson

  4. Faculty of Education, Wilfrid Laurier University, Waterloo, ON, Canada

    Samantha Makosz

Authors
  1. Donna Kotsopoulos
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  2. Lisa Floyd
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  3. Vivian Nelson
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  4. Samantha Makosz
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Donna Kotsopoulos .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, University of Regina, Regina, SK, Canada

    Katherine M. Robinson

  2. Department of Education, Concordia University, Montreal, QC, Canada

    Helena P. Osana

  3. Department of Mathematics, Wilfred Laurier University, Waterloo, ON, Canada

    Donna Kotsopoulos

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Kotsopoulos, D., Floyd, L., Nelson, V., Makosz, S. (2019). Mathematical or Computational Thinking? An Early Years Perspective. In: Robinson, K., Osana, H., Kotsopoulos, D. (eds) Mathematical Learning and Cognition in Early Childhood. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-12895-1_6

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