Preparing students for the 21^st century means teaching them higher-order thinking (HOT). This requires a thorough theoretical and practical understanding of how HOT develops and can be fostered. This Interlinked Research Project (IRP) aims to contribute to this understanding by taking a domain-specific conceptualization of HOT and focusing on primary mathematics education. While internationally, awareness is increasing that the foundation of HOT in mathematics has to be laid at young age, in Dutch primary schools it is almost absent. To provide evidence for enriching the current mathematics curriculum the IRP investigates in three part-projects what opportunities-to-learn HOT can be offered by dynamic data modeling, probability, and early algebra. The IRP is grounded in embodied cognition theory, representational re-description theory, and variation theory and uses interventions with ICT. The design combines macro-genetic longitudinal studies (development over one school year) and micro-genetic studies nested within the macrogenetic studies (development over lesson series). 

• prof. dr. Paul Leseman
• dr. L.M. (Michiel) Doorman
• dr. Jan Boom
• dr. M. (Michiel) Veldhuis

• Leibniz Institut IPN Kiel

Improving Progress for Lower Achievers through Formative Assessment in Science and Mathematics Education (FaSMEd) is a EU-funded project designed to investigate the use of technology in formative assessment classroom practices in ways that allow teachers to respond to the emerging needs of learners in mathematics and science. The project is aimed at working with teachers and learners in science and mathematics education across eight countries. The UU project revolves around the Digital Assessment Environment (DAE): an environment containing tests specifically designed to enable teachers to use student work in mathematics in a formative way. The DAE provides teachers with rich data on their students' understanding through auxiliary tools: digital tools which the students can employ to help them solve a problem, and may help the teacher find out which steps they took in obtaining their answers.

• M.J. (Mieke) Abels