Abstract
In this study, a mobile learning system (MLS) was developed and adopted to facilitate elementary second-grade students to learn mathematics. A quasi-experimental design was adopted. There were two learning models, including the typical instruction group (TI group) and MLS group. The learning content is the topic of multiplication. A total of 93 s-grade students from four classes in a public elementary school in Northern Taiwan participated in this research. Participants were randomly divided into the MLS group (47 participants: 22 boys and 25 girls) and the TI group (46 participants: 26 boys and 20 girls). Participants in the MLS group received mathematics instruction in the MLS, whereas those in the TI group received direct instruction in typical classrooms. All students took the pretest and posttest of mathematics learning achievement test and mathematics learning interest scale assess their improvement of learning achievement and learning interest after the learning activities. The findings revealed that students in the MLS group had significantly better improvement in their mathematics learning interest and mathematics learning achievement than those in the TI group. In addition, students in the MLS group had significantly better performance in answering items of comprehension and application levels in the mathematics learning achievement test.
Highlights
According to the mathematics course standards proposed by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM), basic understanding of multiplication is conducive to the development of higher-level mathematics abilities and achievements
Teaching multiplication concepts normally begins in second grade in an elementary school
The results indicated that the designs in the Mobile Learning System (MLS), including Quick response (QR) codes, multimedia presentations, online tests, and discussion forum, increased students’ mathematics learning interest
Summary
Teaching mathematics involves cultivating students’ logical thinking and their use of concepts to solve problems in daily life. Teachers should help students practice operations, and they should use multiple representations such as graphics, language, signs, and teaching tools to help students quickly understand abstract mathematical concepts, use abstract mathematical concepts to think and solve problems, and find various solutions to mathematical problems [7,8]. Teachers should draw from students’ previous experience to build scaffolds that help students transition from thinking in terms of concrete operations to abstract concepts through specific methods that facilitate exploration and discovery of problem-solving strategies and the regularity of mathematics. Students can use multiplication instead of addition to solve problems and acquire new knowledge, thereby increasing their learning effectiveness and interest
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