Contemporary Reinterpretation of the Abacus as an Arithmetic Teaching Aid

Abstract

The research goal of this study is to explore the direction of the abacus by reinterpreting the role and utility of the abacus in a modern way to highlight what advantages it can be and to apply it to future learners and educational fields. Abacus education using an abacus needs to be approached from the perspectives of ‘Practical Education Theory’ and ‘Experience-oriented Education Theory’, which have a theoretical basis for experiential learning. With the development of math and arithmetic skills through the abacus learning using the teaching aid, future learners can raise their mathematical competence by positively forming a mathematical attitude such as awareness, interest, and self-concept of the subject. In order for this, the recognition of the abacus teaching aid needs to be diversified. This study suggested that the usefulness of the abacus, as a concrete manipulative, can be the tool to raise students' ‘affective competency’ for the development of mathematical skills such as attitude and interest, not just a numerical and arithmetic teaching aid. The harmonious development of both cognitive and affective achievement is important to enable students to engage in learning while maintaining interest in mathematics subjects. For this purpose, it is important for students to gain confidence in math classes, and abacus learning can be actively used in the educational field in terms of improving confidence in math classes.