Abstracts - Earli

Tracking the Growth in Mental ComputationMoritz Heene, Munich University, GermanyRosemary Callingham, University of New England, AustraliaThis paper presents the results of a study aiming at tracking the growth in mental computation asan important aspect of numeracy. There is little information available, however, about appropriatesequences of learning, or what can be expected of students in different grades. The responses of264 students in grades 3 to 10 of Australian primary/high schools to linked tests of mentalcomputation were placed on a single scale using Rasch modelling techniques. In order to avoidmethodological shortcomings of gain scores while investigating the measurement of change, alatent growth Rasch model was applied.Critical role of the IRT in studying construction and co-construction of new cognitivecompetenciesAleksandar Baucal, Department of Psychology, University of Belgrade, SerbiaVitomir Jovanovic, Department of Psychology, University of Belgrade, SerbiaThe main goal of this paper is to present how the Item Response Theory (IRT) can contribute tostudies of construction and/or co-construction of new cognitive competencies. In many previousstudies it is shown that experience with asymmetric and symmetric joint problem solving is relatedwith better later results. However, in the research which is done by one of us (Baucal, 2003)results suggest that social interaction in some cases just help children to use better their alreadyexisting competencies although in some case it really create external space and conditions forbuilding new cognitive competencies. These results stress necessity for improvement of classicalpre-test and post-test design in order to be able to differentiate in more reliable way differenteffects of the joint problem solving. We believe that incorporating the IRT into the design canserve this role. Using of the IRT helps to measure pre-test performance not only by total number ofitems, but also to get detailed insight into success on items which are below and above of studentcompetencies. Furthermore, it enables researchers to choose or design items which are the mostappropriate for testing potential constructive role of social interaction in cognitive development.Finally, the IRT makes possible to measure ability on pre-test and post-test on the same scale.These ideas about contribution of the IRT to the field of (co)construction of new cognitivecompetencies will be exemplified by research design and data.G 1730 August 2007 08:30 - 10:30Room: 7.59SymposiumSelf-regulation and homework behaviorChair: Ulrich Trautwein, Max Planck Institute for Human Development, GermanyOrganiser: Ulrich Trautwein, Max Planck Institute for Human Development, GermanyDiscussant: Detlev Leutner, University of Essen-Duisburg, GermanyFew issues in educational research affect students and their families as directly as homework.Accordingly, the reasons why some students are more efficient and successful in their homeworkbehaviour than others need to be examined. A main difference between classroom learning and– 406 –