Research on numerical cognition in Chile: current status, links to education and challenges (Investigacion en cognicion numerica en Chile: estado actual, vinculos con la educacion y desafios)

Abstract

Research on numerical cognition, an emerging area that has received increasing interest in Chile, can contribute to understanding how mathematical skills are developed and support education. This article reviews the studies published in the field of numerical cognition in Chile, indexed in the WoS, PubMed, Scopus and SciELO databases. The articles reviewed address mechanisms that underlie mathematical performance and strategies used by children, adolescents and adults to solve mathematical tasks, with a special emphasis on early skills, calculations and arithmetic, as well as factors associated with individual differences in the development of mathematical notions. This article also analyses the sources of funding that support research on numerical cognition and education in Chile and the projects awarded such funds in recent years. Finally, the contribution and challenges of numerical cognition research in Chile in an educational context are discussed.