# Examining Interactions Between Opportunities and Propensities for Learning Math in Homes and Classrooms in Early Elementary Grades

> **NIH NIH F32** · UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH AT PITTSBURGH · 2022 · $72,082

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT
 Math achievement is one of the strongest predictors of college and career attainment, lifetime earnings,
and health outcomes. However, much of what comprises later math achievement is decided by the time
children enter school. Thus, it is essential to better understand environmental and cognitive determinants of
early math skills to close stubborn math achievement gaps. One way to consider these varied determinants is
within the Opportunity-Propensity (O-P) model. This model suggests characteristics can be organized into
three factors predicting achievement: antecedents represent distal variables which influence the context into
which the child is born (e.g., socioeconomic status); opportunities represent features of learning environments
(e.g., educational and extracurricular activities); and propensities represent proximal processes that facilitate
learning (e.g., executive function). This project aims to better understand ways in which opportunities and
propensities independently and interactively contribute to the development of early elementary math skills.
 Individual differences in children's exposure to math language predict children's math skills. Prior studies
have described relations between math language input and math skills in homes and classrooms separately,
but little research has explored unique and/or complementary influences of these inputs. Furthermore, some
children have a greater propensity to learn from opportunities than do others and this might in part be
explained by variations in executive function (EF), skills recruited for goal-directed cognitions and behaviors.
Previous research has demonstrated robust relations between EF and math and suggests that EF might serve
as a compensatory mechanism for children who enter school with low levels of math skills. Further research is
needed to test whether EF interacts with math language to predict math skills.
 The O-P model provides a useful framework for understanding the development of skills and a basis for
developing interventions. Antecedents are difficult to intervene upon and often require systemic policy change,
whereas propensities might be more easily affected at the child level. As observational data have suggested
propensities fully mediate relations between both antecedent and opportunity factors and achievement,
propensity factors might be an ideal target for intervention. As such, this investigation seeks to understand
whether modifying propensities affects achievement and/or relations between opportunities and achievement.
 The primary goals of this research are to (1) examine relations between learning opportunities indexed by
math language and child skills; (2) test the role of EF in relations between math language and math skills; and
(3) train child propensities to elucidate mechanisms that lead to improvements in math. Findings will have
implications for intervention and learning science, policy, and practice. The proposed researc...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10482123
- **Project number:** 5F32HD102106-03
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH AT PITTSBURGH
- **Principal Investigator:** ANDY D RIBNER
- **Activity code:** F32 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $72,082
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2020-06-01 → 2023-05-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10482123

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10482123, Examining Interactions Between Opportunities and Propensities for Learning Math in Homes and Classrooms in Early Elementary Grades (5F32HD102106-03). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10482123. Licensed CC0.

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