TRILA Research Featured at PME49 Conference in Helsinki

Recently, researchers from TRILA participated in the 49th Conference of the International Group for the Psychology of Mathematics Education (PME49) in Helsinki, where researchers from around the world gathered under the theme Sensing and Making Sense of Mathematics. The conference took place from July 27 to August 1, 2026.

At the conference, TRILA’s Senior Research Fellow Jo Van Hoof and Doctoral Researcher Heli Nurminen presented their latest studies on students’ understanding of fractions. Senior Researcher Daranee Lehtonen presented a paper from the DigiMaths4All project examining the relationship between fourth graders’ attitudes towards mathematics and their mathematics performance.

Van Hoof presented findings from a study that followed 182 sixth- and seventh-grade students over one school year and found that improvements in fraction ordering tasks did not necessarily reflect deeper conceptual understanding of fraction magnitudes. The findings show the importance of emphasizing conceptual understanding and not just procedural skills in fraction instruction and assessment. Moreover, the study highlighted that the use of fraction ordering tasks might need to be reconsidered as a measure of students’ conceptual understanding of the magnitude of fractions. 

Nurminen presented a pilot study examining sixth graders’ fraction skills over a five-week, curriculum-based teaching period which combined classroom teaching and practice on a digital learning platform. Overall, students improved, but misconceptions about fraction magnitude remained. Thus, procedural practice may not be enough to address misconceptions about fraction magnitude. 

Lehtonen presented findings from the DigiMaths4All project in the paper The Interplay of Fourth Graders’ Mathematics Attitudes and Performance. The decline in global mathematics attitudes and performance raises significant concerns for educational outcomes and career choices. While evidence suggests that students’ attitudes significantly influence their performance, some studies report no substantial relationship. This study examines the relationship between fourth graders’ (n = 639) mathematics attitudes and performance at both the student and classroom levels. Utilizing multilevel modeling, we found that students’ positive mathematics attitudes strongly predict better performance, a relationship that remains consistent across classrooms. These findings underscore the need for effective strategies to enhance student confidence and engagement in mathematics, ultimately supporting their long-term success in STEM fields.

It was a pleasure to share TRILA’s research at PME49 and take part in inspiring discussions with mathematics education researchers from around the world!