Is the Thinking Ability Training for Primary School Mathematics Effective?——A Meta-analysis Based on 51 Empirical Studies at Home and Abroad

In the basic education teaching oriented to the cultivation of thinking ability, researchers often carry out targeted thinking ability training based on the mathematics discipline, yet the learning effect is different. Therefore, based on data obtained from 51 relevant experimental and quasi-experimental research, this paper adopted meta-analysis method to explore the learning effects of of primary school mathematical thinking ability training. The results showed that thinking ability training for primary school mathematics in China had a moderate positive effect, but there was no significant difference in its effectiveness in low-order or high-order thinking abilities. Different mathematical course content and thinking training strategies could produce significant differences. There was no significant difference in terms of the grade level, training period, and whether information technology tools were used. Guided by these research findings, effective strategies and recommendations for effectively implementing thinking ability training were proposed, expecting to clarify research trends and provide guidance for practitioners to carry out evidence-based teaching.