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Education

Degree: PhD in Basic and Applied Cognitive Science
Year: 2004
Institution: Department of History and Philosophy of Science, NKUA

Degree: Msc in Didactics and Methodology of Mathematics
Year: 1998
Institution: Department of Mathematics, NKUA

Degree: B.S. in Mathematics
Year: 1994
Institution: Department of Mathematics, NKUA

Xenia Vamvakoussi

Department of Early Childhood Education

Contact Information

Tel.: +30-26510 04325
e-mail: Lab URL: https://mathedulab.ecedu.uoi.gr/

Research topics (related to the Institute)

  1. Development, learning, and teaching of number concepts
  2. Development of mathematics-related reasoning
  3. Mathematical knowledge for teaching

Research summary

  • Conceptual change in the transition of natural to rational numbers
  • The natural number bias and its effects on learning and reasoning on rational numbers
  • Conceptual and procedural knowledge of rational numbers
  • Analogical reasoning and the use of analogies in instruction
  • Early multiplicative reasoning: Development and instructional support
  • In service and prospective educators mathematical knowledge for teaching

Professional background

2019- today Associate Professor, Dept. of Early Childhood Education, UoI
2014 – 2019 Assistant Professor, Dept. of Early Childhood Education, UoI
2012 –2014 Lecturer, Dept. of Early Childhood Education, UoI
2010 –2011 Visiting Lecturer, Dept. of Education, UCY
Post-doctoral research experience:
2009-2010Centre for Instructional Psychology and Technology, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Belgium, personal grant F+ Fellowship (3H090299), Lab Director: Prof. Dr. Lieven Verschaffel.
2007-2009Laboratory of Basic and Applied Cognitive Science, Department of History and Philosophy of Science, NKUA, project Humans: The analogy making species (ANALOGY), funded by the FP6 NEST Program of the European Commission. (STREP Contr. 029088), Principal Investigator: Prof. Stella Vosniadou.
2004-2006Laboratory of Basic and Applied Cognitive Science, Department of History and Philosophy of Science, NKUA, project Pythagoras I (70/3/7422), funded with 75% contribution from European Social Funds and 25% contribution from National Funds, Principal Investigator: Prof. Stella Vosniadou.

Indicative publications

1. Vamvakoussi, X., Bempeni, M., Poulopoulou, S., & Tsiplaki, I. (2019). Theoretical and methodological issues in the study of conceptual and procedural knowledge: Reflections on a series of studies on Greek secondary students’ knowledge of fractions. Educational Journal of the University of Patras UNESCO Chair, 6(2), 82-96.

2. Vamvakoussi, X., Christou, K.P., & Vosniadou, S. (2018). Bridging psychological and educational research on rational number knowledge. Journal of Numerical Cognition, 4(1), 84–106.

3. Vamvakoussi, X. (2017). Using analogies to facilitate conceptual change in mathematics learning. ZDM Mathematics Education, 49(4), 497-507.

4. Vamvakoussi, X. (2015). The development of rational number knowledge: old topic, new insights. Learning & Instruction, 37, 50-55.

5. Bempeni, M., & Vamvakoussi, X. (2015). Individual differences in students’ knowing and learning about fractions: evidence from an in-depth qualitative study. Frontline Learning Research, 3(1), 17 – 34.

6. Vamvakoussi, X., Van Dooren, W., & Verschaffel, L. (2013). Educated adults are still affected by intuitions about the effect of arithmetical operations: evidence from a reaction-time study. Educational Studies in Mathematics, 82(2), 323-330.

7. Vamvakoussi, X. & Vosniadou, S. (2012). Bridging the gap between the dense and the discrete. The number line and the “rubber line” bridging analogy. Mathematical Thinking and Learning, 14, 265–284.

8. Vamvakoussi, X., Van Dooren, W., & Verschaffel, L. (2012). Naturally biased? In search for reaction time evidence for a natural number bias in adults. Journal of Mathematical Behavior, 31, 344-355.

Number of publications, 107( 19-12-2020) Number of citations: 1.811 (Scholar 19-12-2020)

h factor = 16 (Scholar 19-12-2020)

Recent Research projects / grants (last 5 years)

2018-2019: “Exploring the relation between individual differences in conceptual and procedural knowledge of rational numbers, and the individual’s learning approach to mathematics: development and validation of research instruments”, PA 2014-2020, OP Human Resources Development, Education and Lifelong Learning, co-funded by the European Union and National Funds. Principal Investigator: X. Vamvakoussi.