Research Interests

• Mathematical learning and development 
• Mathematical cognition and mental representation of number
• Teacher diagnostic competences

Selected Publications

Complete List of Publications and Talks (pdf)

Brunner, K., Obersteiner, A., & Leuders, T. (2024). How pedagogical content knowledge sharpens prospective teachers’ focus when judging mathematical tasks: an eye-tracking study. Educational Studies in Mathematics, 115, 177–196. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10649-023-10281-6​​​​​​​

​​​​​​​Obersteiner, A., Alibali, M. W., & Marupudi, V. (2022). Comparing fraction magnitudes: adults’ verbal reports reveal strategy flexibility and adaptivity, but also bias. Journal of Numerical Cognition, 8, 398–413. https://doi.org/10.5964/jnc.7577​​​​​​​

Wortha, S., Obersteiner, A., & Dresler, T. (2021). Neurocognitive foundations of fraction processing. In M. Danesi (Ed.). Handbook of Cognitive Mathematics. Springer: Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-44982-7_27-1

Brunner, K., Obersteiner, A., & Leuders, T. (2021). How prospective teachers detect potential difficulties in mathematical tasks – an eye tracking study. RISTAL: Research in Subject Matter Teaching and Learning, 4, 108–125. https://doi.org/10.23770/RT1845

Strohmaier, A. R., MacKay, K. J., Obersteiner, A., & Reiss, K. M. (2020). Eye tracking methodology in mathematics education research: a systematic literature review. Educational Studies in Mathematics. http://doi.org/10.1007/s10649-020-09948-1

Obersteiner, A., Alibali, M. W., & Marupudi, V. (2020). Complex fraction comparisons and the natural number bias: the role of benchmarks. Learning and Instruction. http://doi.org/10.1016/j.learninstruc.2020.101307

Reinhold, F., Obersteiner, A., Hoch, S., Hofer, S. I., & Reiss, K. (2020). The interplay between the natural number bias and fraction magnitude processing in low-achieving students. Frontiers in Education, 5:29. http://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2020.00029

Obersteiner, A., Dresler, T., Bieck, S. M., & Moeller, K. (2019). Understanding fractions: Integrating results from mathematics education, cognitive psychology, and neuroscience. In A. Norton, & M. Alibali (Eds.), Constructing number: merging perspectives from psychology and mathematics education (pp. 135–162). Cham, Switzerland: Springer. http://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-00491-0_7

Heitzmann, N., Seidel, T., Opitz, A., Hetmanek, A., Wecker, C., Fischer, M., Ufer, S., Schmidmaier, R., Neuhaus, B., Siebeck, M., Stürmer, K., Obersteiner, A., Reiss, K., Girwidz, R., & Fischer, F. (2019). Facilitating diagnostic competences in simulations: a conceptual framework and a research agenda for medical and teacher education. Frontline Learning Research, 7(4), 1–24. http://doi.org/10.14786/flr.v7i4.384

Obersteiner, A., Van Hoof, J., Verschaffel, L., & Van Dooren, W. (2016). Who can escape the natural number bias in rational number tasks? British Journal of Psychology, 107, 537–555. http://doi.org/10.1111/bjop.12161

Obersteiner, A., Reiss, K., Ufer, S., Luwel, K. & Verschaffel, L. (2014). Do first-graders make efficient use of external number representations? The case of the twenty-frame. Cognition and Instruction, 32, 353–373. http://doi.org/10.1080/07370008.2014.948681

Obersteiner, A., Van Dooren, W., Van Hoof, J., & Verschaffel, L. (2013). The natural number bias and magnitude representation in fraction comparison by expert mathematicians. Learning and Instruction, 28, 64–72. http://doi.org/10.1016/j.learninstruc.2013.05.003

Obersteiner, A., Reiss, K., & Ufer, S. (2013). How training on exact or approximate mental representations of number can enhance first-grade students' basic number processing and arithmetic skills. Learning and Instruction, 23, 125–135. http://doi.org/10.1016/j.learninstruc.2012.08.004

Roles

• Academic Program Director (Bachelor and Master of Science Education at Secondary Schools)
• Coordinator of the Special Interest Group "Conceptual Change" (SIG 3) of the European Association for Research on Learning and Instruction (EARLI)
• Host of the 13th International Conference on Conceptual Change
• Associate Editor of the Journal for Mathematics Didactics (JMD)
• Associate Editor of the Journal for Numerical Cognition (JNC)
• Advisory Board Member of the Journal Learning and Instruction
• Advisory Board Member of the Journal Learning and Learning Disorders
• Memberships in international research networks
  • EARLI Centre for Innovative Research "Conceptual Change"
  • FWO Research Network "Developing and stimulating competencies: Methodological challenges and opportunities for research".
• Memberships in scientific organisations
  • Society for Didactics of Mathematics (GDM)
  • European Association for Research on Learning and Instruction (EARLI)
  • Special Interest Groups "Conceptual Change" (SIG 3) and "Neuroscience and Education" (SIG 22) of EARLI
  • International Group for the Psychology of Mathematics Education (IGPME)
• Reviewer for journals including:
  Cognition; Educational Research Review; Educational Studies in Mathematics; International Journal of Science and Mathematics Education; Journal of Educational Psychology; Journal of Mathematics Teacher Education; Learning and Instruction; Mathematica Didactica; Mathematical Thinking and Learning; ZDM Mathematics Education; Zeitschrift für Erziehungswissenschaft
• Reviewer for conferences, including EARLI, JURE, PME
• Reviewer for organisations, including:
  German Research Foundation (DFG); Austrian Science Fund (FWF); Fonds National de la Recherche Luxembourg (FNR); Research Fund Flanders, Belgium (Fonds Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek - FWO); Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO)

Curriculum vitae