Individual Differences in Working Memory and the Impact on Students' Achievements in Solving Mathematical Problems in Analytic Geometry

Abstract

Abstract The study explored the contribution of working memory (WM) components to analytic geometry achievements. According to Baddeley & Hitch’s (1974) Multicomponent Model, WM consists of three components: a phonological loop, a visuo-spatial sketchpad, and a central executive system. Few studies have focused on the role of WM mechanisms in analytic geometry. The participants in this study were 92 high school students (10th–11th grades). All students were tested on an analytic geometry test that included problems on three levels of difficulty. Additionally, the participants were tested on a battery of five memory tests that included all three components of WM. The findings suggest that after controlling for the grade level and the students' math scores, the central executive system accounted for 13% of the variance in analytic geometry, while the visuo-spatial sketchpad accounted for 7.9% of the variance. However, the phonological loop had no significant effect on students' achievements in analytic geometry. The results showed that students with a higher WM capacity also achieved better results at each level of difficulty on the analytic geometry test. The study’s findings may contribute to an understanding of the complex relationship between WM mechanisms and analytic geometry. The results can contribute to the theoretical knowledge regarding the correlation between the level of difficulty of a mathematical task and WM. Directions for future research and implications for practice are discussed.