Examining the interaction of mathematical abilities and mathematical memory: A study of problem-solving activity of high-achieving Swedish upper secondary students

(2017) "Examining the interaction of mathematical abilities and mathematical memory: A study of problem-solving activity of high-achieving Swedish upper secondary students," In this paper we investigate the abilities that six high-achieving Swedish upper secondary students demonstrate when solving challenging, non-routine mathematical problems. Data, which were derived from clinical interviews, were analysed against an adaptation of the framework developed by the Soviet psychologist Vadim Krutetskii (1976). Analyses showed that when solving problems students pass through three phases, here called orientation, processing and checking, during which students exhibited particular forms of ability. In particular, the mathematical memory was principally observed in the orientation phase, playing a crucial role in the ways in which students' selected their problem-solving methods; where these methods failed to lead to the desired outcome students were unable to modify them. Furthermore, the ability to generalise, a key component of Krutetskii's framework, was absent throughout students' attempts. These findings indicate a lack of flexibility likely to be a consequence of their experiences as learners of mathematics. INTRODUCTION Typically based on arguments rooted in equity and social justice, much research has focused on the education of low-achieving mathematics students (e.g., Swanson & Jerman, 2006). However, with respect to framing this paper, relatively little attention has been focused on high-achieving students (Leikin, 2014). In this respect, a few studies have addressed the mathematical abilities invoked during problem-solving (Brandl, 2011; Vilkomir & O´Donoghue, 2009) but even fewer have considered the connection between students' memory functions and their mathematical performance has examined the role of the mathematical memory in the context of able students' problem-solving activities.