Emily R. Fyfe
Graduate Student
Research Area: Developmental Science
I study cognitive development with a focus on the mechanisms underlying the development of mathematics knowledge and problem solving. My primary goal is to understand how children think and learn about mathematics, both independently and with instructional guidance. My research not only helps identify basic cognitive processes that support the construction of knowledge, but also examines how to use that information to design effective instructional techniques.
Representative Publications
Rittle-Johnson, B., Fyfe, E. R., McLean, L. E., & McEldoon, K. L. (in press). Emerging understanding of patterning in four-year-olds. Journal of Cognition and Development.
Fyfe, E. R., Rittle-Johnson, B., & DeCaro, M. S. (2012). The effects of feedback during exploratory mathematics problem solving: Prior knowledge matters. Journal of Educational Psychology, 104(4), 1094-1108. doi: 10.1037/a0028389
McNeil, N.M., & Fyfe, E.R. (2012). “Concreteness fading” promotes transfer of mathematical knowledge. Learning and Instruction, 22, 440-448. doi: 10.1016/j.learninstruc.2012.05.001
McNeil, N. M., Chesney, D. L., Matthews, P. G., Fyfe, E. R., Petersen, L. A., & Dunwiddie, A. E. (2012). It pays to be organized: Organizing addition knowledge around equivalent values facilitates understanding of mathematical equivalence. Journal of Educational Psychology, 104(4), 1109-1121. doi: 10.1037/a0028997
McNeil, N. M., Fyfe, E. R., Petersen, L. A., Dunwiddie, A. E., & Brletic-Shipley, H. (2011). Benefits of practicing 4 = 2 + 2: Nontraditional problem formats facilitate children’s understanding of mathematical equivalence. Child Development, 82(5), 1620-1633. doi: 10.1111/j.1467-8624.2011.01622.x