Development of Cognitive Abilities through the Abacus in Primary Education Students: A Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial

Background: An abacus is an instrument used to perform different arithmetic operations. The objective was to analyze the benefits of mathematical calculations made with an abacus to improve the concentration, attention, memory, perceptive attitudes, and creativity cognitive abilities of primary scho...

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Main Authors: León, Samuel P., Carcelén Fraile, María del Carmen, García Martínez, Inmaculada
Format: info:eu-repo/semantics/article
Language:English
Published: MDPI 2021
Subjects:
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/10835/10035
https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci11020083
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author León, Samuel P.
Carcelén Fraile, María del Carmen
García Martínez, Inmaculada
author_facet León, Samuel P.
Carcelén Fraile, María del Carmen
García Martínez, Inmaculada
author_sort León, Samuel P.
collection DSpace
description Background: An abacus is an instrument used to perform different arithmetic operations. The objective was to analyze the benefits of mathematical calculations made with an abacus to improve the concentration, attention, memory, perceptive attitudes, and creativity cognitive abilities of primary school students. (2) Methods: A total of 65 children, aged 7–11 years (8.49 ± 1.65) participated in this randomized controlled clinical trial. The children were randomly distributed into a control group (n = 34) and experimental group (n = 31). The questionnaires used were the D2 test to measure attention and concentration, the Difference Perception Test (FACE-R) test for the perception of differences, the test of immediate auditory memory (AIM), and the test to evaluate creative intelligence (CREA). (3) Results: No significant differences were found between both groups before the intervention. Significant improvements were observed in the cognitive parameters of concentration, memory, perceptive attitudes, and creativity after the intervention, using the abacus, with respect to the control group. (4) Conclusions: It is demonstrated that a calculation program based on the use of the abacus for 8 weeks has beneficial effects on the cognitive capacities of concentration, immediate auditory memory, perceptive attitudes, and creativity. In addition, the benefits of using the abacus to improve cognitive attitudes are reported.
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spelling oai:repositorio.ual.es:10835-100352023-04-12T19:15:44Z Development of Cognitive Abilities through the Abacus in Primary Education Students: A Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial León, Samuel P. Carcelén Fraile, María del Carmen García Martínez, Inmaculada abacus intervention calculus cognitive ability children Background: An abacus is an instrument used to perform different arithmetic operations. The objective was to analyze the benefits of mathematical calculations made with an abacus to improve the concentration, attention, memory, perceptive attitudes, and creativity cognitive abilities of primary school students. (2) Methods: A total of 65 children, aged 7–11 years (8.49 ± 1.65) participated in this randomized controlled clinical trial. The children were randomly distributed into a control group (n = 34) and experimental group (n = 31). The questionnaires used were the D2 test to measure attention and concentration, the Difference Perception Test (FACE-R) test for the perception of differences, the test of immediate auditory memory (AIM), and the test to evaluate creative intelligence (CREA). (3) Results: No significant differences were found between both groups before the intervention. Significant improvements were observed in the cognitive parameters of concentration, memory, perceptive attitudes, and creativity after the intervention, using the abacus, with respect to the control group. (4) Conclusions: It is demonstrated that a calculation program based on the use of the abacus for 8 weeks has beneficial effects on the cognitive capacities of concentration, immediate auditory memory, perceptive attitudes, and creativity. In addition, the benefits of using the abacus to improve cognitive attitudes are reported. 2021-03-04T08:11:33Z 2021-03-04T08:11:33Z 2021-02-21 info:eu-repo/semantics/article 2227-7102 http://hdl.handle.net/10835/10035 https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci11020083 en https://www.mdpi.com/2227-7102/11/2/83 Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 Internacional http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess MDPI
spellingShingle abacus
intervention
calculus
cognitive ability
children
León, Samuel P.
Carcelén Fraile, María del Carmen
García Martínez, Inmaculada
Development of Cognitive Abilities through the Abacus in Primary Education Students: A Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial
title Development of Cognitive Abilities through the Abacus in Primary Education Students: A Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial
title_full Development of Cognitive Abilities through the Abacus in Primary Education Students: A Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial
title_fullStr Development of Cognitive Abilities through the Abacus in Primary Education Students: A Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial
title_full_unstemmed Development of Cognitive Abilities through the Abacus in Primary Education Students: A Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial
title_short Development of Cognitive Abilities through the Abacus in Primary Education Students: A Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial
title_sort development of cognitive abilities through the abacus in primary education students: a randomized controlled clinical trial
topic abacus
intervention
calculus
cognitive ability
children
url http://hdl.handle.net/10835/10035
https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci11020083
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