Identifying meaningful cognitive and non-cognitive predictors of mathematical competence is critical for developing targeted interventions for students struggling with mathematics. Here, 317 students' short-term verbal memory, verbal and visuospatial working memory, complex spatial abilities, intelligence, and mathematics attitudes and anxiety were assessed, and their teachers reported on their attentive-behavior in seventh-grade mathematics classrooms. Bayesian regression models revealed that complex spatial abilities and in-class attention were the most plausible predictors of seventh-grade mathematics, but not word reading, achievement, controlling for prior achievement. These results were confirmed with multilevel models that revealed interactions between these factors and prior achievement. The largest gains were among students with strong mathematical competencies in sixth-grade, and average or better in-class attention in seventh-grade as well as above average spatial abilities. High mathematics anxiety was associated with lower attention and through this indirectly influenced achievement gains. These results have implications for how to best target interventions for students at risk for long-term difficulties with mathematics.

中文翻译：

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课堂注意力、空间能力和数学焦虑预测青少年数学成绩的跨年级增益。

识别数学能力的有意义的认知和非认知预测因子对于为数学困难的学生制定有针对性的干预措施至关重要。在这里，对 317 名学生的短期语言记忆、语言和视觉空间工作记忆、复杂空间能力、智力和数学态度和焦虑进行了评估，他们的老师报告了他们在七年级数学课堂上的专注行为。贝叶斯回归模型显示，复杂的空间能力和课堂注意力是七年级数学最合理的预测因素，但不是单词阅读、成绩、控制先前成绩。这些结果得到了多层次模型的证实，该模型揭示了这些因素与先前成就之间的相互作用。最大的收获是六年级数学能力强、七年级课堂注意力平均或更好以及空间能力高于平均水平的学生。高度的数学焦虑与较低的注意力有关，并通过这种间接影响成就的获得。这些结果对于如何最好地针对有长期数学困难风险的学生进行干预具有重要意义。