Low Numeracy Research Articles

Measuring Changes of Students Conceptual Understanding of Literacy and Numeracy in Natural Science by Using Rasch Model

The low literacy and numeracy abilities of Indonesian students based on the PISA encourage assessment policies based on literacy and numeracy. This study aims to analyze the feasibility of the items developed and changes in students' understanding of concepts after implementing literacy and numeracy-based learning processes on science subject matter topics related to education for sustainable development. The research method used in this research is the one-group pretest-posttest-design experimental method. Concerning the one-group pretest-posttest-design experimental method, the sample in this study was one whole class. Data was collected through a test instrument for students' conceptual understanding of science subjects. Raw data from students' grades were processed using the Rasch Model analysis. Through Rasch's analysis, the pattern of changes in students' conceptual understanding abilities was identified by comparing the response patterns of problem difficulty and students' abilities. The research results show that the items developed in the test instrument are appropriate for measuring students' abilities. Literacy and numeracy-based learning can improve students' understanding of concepts. Seven out of 53 students were identified as having decreased abilities. Student misconceptions cause it, the types of questions developed, student internal factors, and the teaching materials used. This analysis estimates the effectiveness of educational innovations and student ability in detail.

Analysis of Program Development, Benefits, and Challenges of Implementing "Kampus Mengajar" in Improving Teaching Skills of Muhammadiyah Makassar University Students

The purpose of this study is to analyse the development of the Kampus Mengajar programme and its role in improving the teaching skills of students at the University of Muhammadiyah Makassar, as well as the opportunities, benefits, and challenges of the program. This research uses a qualitative case study approach, with the participants being students of Muhammadiyah University of Makassar and the school staff, including the principal, teachers, and staff of SDI Bontoramba in Gowa Regency, South Sulawesi. The results showed that the Kampus Mengajar programme plays a very important role in developing and improving student teaching abilities and skills obtained through implemented programmes and teaching assistance in terms of increasing student literacy and numeracy. In addition, other programmes such as technology adaptation and administrative assistance also provide great benefits to the school, especially training on the implementation of online learning and the development of learning media. Teachers in the school are also able to practise directly and develop the ability to use technology in the teaching and learning process with the help of students at Kampus Mengajar. The role of universities also has a major impact on improving students' teaching abilities through evaluation and student teaching feedback. The program's challenges for students are related to a lack of student ability in terms of using technology during learning, as well as some students' low literacy and numeracy skills, requiring more intensive assistance, and also requiring creativity and innovation in creating learning media that are fun, useful, and on target.

Profile of Student Numerical Ability in Higher Order Thinking Skills (HOTS) Problem-Solving

The numeracy literacy of Indonesian students at the international level is still relatively low. This can be seen based on the results of the PISA test. In 2015, Indonesia obtained a PISA score of 386 for mathematics from each country's average score, namely 487. Low numeracy literacy can occur due to student errors in solving numeracy questions, namely conceptual and work procedure errors. Numerical Literacy is closely related to solving mathematical problems, primarily found in questions of the Higher Order Thinking Skills (HOTS) type. Therefore, no research examines numeracy skills in solving HOTS problems. This research uses a qualitative approach with a case study type. This study's subjects were class VIII MTs Negeri 5 Tulungagung students. This study used 2 data collection techniques: tests in the form of descriptions and interviews. The analysis model used is Miles and Huberman's model, which consists of data reduction, data display, and conclusion drawing/verification. The results of this study indicate that the level of numeracy ability of students at MTs Negeri 5 Tulungaguang is quite diverse, although, in percentage terms, those with moderate numeracy skills are more dominant. (1) Students with low numeracy abilities cannot fulfil all indicators of Numerical Literacy ability in solving problems, (2) Students with moderate numeracy ability can only fulfil three indicators of Numerical Literacy ability in solving problems, and (3) Students with high numeracy abilities can fulfil all indicators of Numerical Literacy ability in solving problems.

Development of Electronic Handouts Using Numerical Literacy-Based Mathemagics Methods for Learning in the Digital Era

This research is motivated and conducted to address the problem of low numeracy literacy among students and the limited electronic-based learning media with game-based methods. The urgency of this research is crucial because low numeracy literacy can affect students' ability to solve mathematical problems in their daily lives and the future. The lack of engaging learning media can also affect students' interest in learning. Therefore, this study aims to develop an electronic Mathemagic handout based on numeracy literacy. The development model used in this research is the DDD-E model. The developed handout product has been validated twice by material and media validators. After revising it based on their suggestions and inputs, the average validation score obtained is 87.1%. These results indicate that the developed electronic Mathemagic handout based on numeracy literacy meets the perfect validation criteria. The solution offered by this research is to develop an engaging mathematical learning media using game-based methods to improve students' numeracy literacy. It is hoped that the electronic Mathemagic handout based on numeracy literacy can help increase students' interest and learning ability in mathematics. As a result, students can be more confident and have sufficient ability to solve mathematical problems in their daily lives and the future. The study implies that educators and policymakers can consider implementing the electronic Mathemagic handout in their teaching methods to enhance students' numeracy, literacy, and interest in mathematics. Additionally, the study underscores the importance of using innovative and engaging approaches in teaching to foster a love for learning and improve academic outcomes.

Factors Associated With Limited Cancer Health Literacy Among Chinese People: Cross-sectional Survey Study.

Limited cancer health literacy may be attributed to various factors. Although these factors play decisive roles in identifying individuals with limited cancer health literacy, they have not been sufficiently investigated, especially in China. There is a pressing need to ascertain the factors that effectively identify Chinese people with poor cancer health literacy. This study aimed to identify the factor associated with limited cancer health literacy among Chinese people based on the 6-Item Cancer Health Literacy Test (CHLT-6). We first categorized Chinese study participants according to the answers provided for cancer health literacy as follows: people who provided ≤3 correct answers were labeled as having limited cancer health literacy, whereas those who provided between 4 and 6 correct answers were labeled as having adequate cancer health literacy. We then adopted logistic regression to analyze the factors that were closely related to limited cancer health literacy among at-risk study participants. The logistic regression analysis identified the following factors that effectively predicted limited cancer health literacy: (1) male gender, (2) low education attainment, (3) age, (4) high levels of self-assessed general disease knowledge, (5) low levels of digital health literacy, (6) limited communicative health literacy, (7) low general health numeracy, and (8) high levels of mistrust in health authorities. Using regression analysis, we successfully identified 8 factors that could be used as predictors of limited cancer health literacy among Chinese populations. These findings have important clinical implications for supporting Chinese people with limited cancer health literacy through the development of more targeted health educational programs and resources that better align with their actual skill levels.

Probability estimation in accounting: subjective numeracy matters

PurposeThis study examined subjective numeracy and its relationship with accounting judgements on probability issues.Design/methodology/approachA subjective numeracy scale (SNS) questionnaire was distributed to 231 accounting students to measure self-evaluated numeracy. Modified Bayesian reasoning tasks were applied in an accounting-related probability estimation, manipulating presentation formats.FindingsThe study revealed a positive relationship between self-evaluated numeracy and performance in accounting probability estimation. The findings suggest that switching the format of probability expressions from percentages to frequencies can improve the performance of participants with low self-evaluated numeracy.Research limitations/implicationsAdding objective numeracy measurements could enhance results. Future numeracy research could add objective numeracy items and assess whether this influences participants' self-perceived numeracy. Based on this sample population of accounting students, the findings may not apply to large populations of accounting-information users.Practical implicationsInvestors' ability to exercise sound judgement depends on the accuracy of their probability estimations. Manipulating the format of probability expressions can improve probability estimation performance in investors with low self-evaluated numeracy.Originality/valueThis study identified a significant performance gap among participants in performing accounting probability estimations: those with high self-evaluated numeracy performed better than those with low self-evaluated numeracy. The authors also explored a method other than additional training to improve participants' performance on probability estimation tasks and discovered that frequency formats enhanced the performance of participants with low self-evaluated numeracy.

PELATIHAN BAHAN AJAR DAN INSTRUMEN NUMERASI BAGI GURU SD PLUS AL- GHIFARI BANDUNG

Teaching materials are an important requirement in realizing effective learning in schools. This problem requires the need for teaching materials as a solution to the problem of low numeracy skills. Some of the obstacles in learning mathematics are that teachers are less aware of the importance of preparing teaching materials according to their needs, the benefits of teaching materials in preparing learning tools and implementing learning, and teachers do not understand the mechanisms and techniques for preparing correct teaching materials. The preparation of teaching materials is very important, especially in improving students' mathematical abilities, especially numeracy. To provide solutions to these problems, the PKM Team conducted training on Teaching Materials and Numeracy Instruments for Elementary School Teachers. The stages that are passed are 1) preparation, 2) implementation and 3) evaluation. The participants of this training were 54 with the target audience of UNPAS Mathematics Education Master's students who teach in elementary schools and SD Plus Al-Ghifari mathematics teacher. The activity results showed an improvement in teachers' knowledge and skills regarding numeracy-based teaching materials and instruments, with an initial ability to obtain an average score of 27.04 and a final score with an average of 81.48. Meanwhile, participants' response to the PKM activity obtained a score of 4.6 in the highly satisfactory category. These activity results concluded that there was an improvement in teachers' knowledge and skills in developing numeracy-based teaching materials and instruments, and participants gave a highly satisfactory response to the training activity conducted.

An Exploratory Study on the Impacts of Individual Skills and Health Information Exposure on Perceptions of Cancer Control and Expert Competence.

People's perceptions of control over their risk of cancer, and their perceptions of health experts' abilities to manage cancer risks, shape their beliefs about the effectiveness of expert-recommended cancer-preventive behaviors and actions. The aims of this exploratory study were to investigate the impact of individual skills and sources of health information on (i) internal locus of cancer control (ILOC) and (ii) perceived expert competence. Using a cross-sectional survey (n = 172), we collected data on individual health expertise, numeracy, health literacy, amounts of health information received from various sources, ILOC for cancer prevention and perceived expert competence (i.e., believing that health experts have the knowledge to correctly estimate cancer risks). Significant associations between health expertise and ILOC, and between health literacy and ILOC, were not observed in this study (OR = 2.15, 95%CI = 0.96-5.98; OR = 1.78, 95%CI = 0.97-3.63, respectively). Participants who received more health information from the news were more likely to perceive experts as competent (OR = 1.86, 95%CI = 1.06-3.57). Logistic regression analyses suggested that higher levels of health literacy among individuals with lower numeracy may promote ILOC but discourage expert competence beliefs. Analyses by gender suggested females with low educational attainment and lower numeracy may especially benefit from educational interventions to improve health literacy and promote ILOC. Our findings build off existing literature that point to a possible interaction between numeracy and health literacy. This research, with follow up work, may have practical implications for health educators aiming to promote specific cancer beliefs that lead to the uptake of expert-recommended cancer-preventive behaviors.

Numeracy skills learning of children in Africa:-Are disabled children lagging behind?

Significant progress has been achieved in universal basic education in African countries since the late 1990s. This study provides empirical evidence on the within- and across-country variation in numeracy skills performance among children based on nationally representative data from eight African countries (DR Congo, The Gambia, Ghana, Lesotho, Sierra Leone, Togo, Tunisia, and Zimbabwe). We assess whether and to what extent children with disabilities lag in numeracy skills and how much it depends on their type of disabilities. More specifically, we explore whether disabled children benefit equally from better school system quality. The assessment is analysed as a natural experiment using the performance of non-disabled children as a benchmark and considering the different types of disabilities as random treatments. We first evaluate the variation in average numeracy skills in the eight African countries. They can roughly be divided into low- and high-numeracy countries. We apply Instrumental Variable (IV) methods to control the endogeneity of completed school years when assessing subjects' school performance and heterogeneous disability effects. Children with vision and hearing disabilities are not especially challenged in numeracy skills performance. The low numeracy skills among physically and intellectually disabled children are mainly attributable to their limited school attendance. Children with multiple disabilities are constrained both by low school attendance and by poor numeracy skills return to schooling. The average differences in school performance across the high- versus low-numeracy skill country groups are larger than the within-group average differences for disabled versus non-disabled kids. This indicates that school enrolment and quality are crucial for children's learning of numeracy skills, and that disabled children benefit equally from better school quality across these African countries.

ANALISIS PERAN ORANG TUA TERHADAP MOTIVASI BELAJAR PESERTA DIDIK KELAS II SD NEGERI PANGGUNG KIDUL SEMARANG

The background that drives this research is that there are some students who have low reading, writing, and numeracy skills. This has resulted in some students getting learning outcomes scores that are below the minimum completion criteria. The goal to be achieved in this study is to describe and analyze the role of parents and the obstacles experienced by parents to the student learning motivation of second grade of Public Elementary School Panggung Kidul Semarang. This research method is qualitative. Data collection techniques use observation, interviews and documentation. There are 3 stages of data analysis used, namely, data reduction, data presentation and drawing conclusions. The data of this study was obtained through subjects consisting of 10 parents students of second grade, and the teacher of second grade. Then for testing the validity of the data using triangulation. The results showed the role of parents in children's learning motivation, namely 1) Providing learning attention, 2) Guiding and accompanying children, 3) Providing advice and support, 4) providing learning facilities, 5) Providing gifts and punishments. However, some of the parents are also still lacking in providing learning attention. The obstacles experienced by parents in increasing learning motivation are 1) The condition of children who are lazy in learning, 2) The busyness of parents who cannot divide time because of work matters. It can be concluded that parents of grade II students have played a role in providing motivation for children's learning, but in providing motivation for learning there are several obstacles experienced by parents.

Numeration ability of junior high school students in solving numeration problems algebra material

This research is a qualitative descriptive research conducted to describe the completion of numeracy problems and determine the level of numeracy ability of junior high school students. The subjects in this study were 34 students who were grade VIII junior high school students in Ciledug District. The research instrument is a written test with three numeracy ability test description questions where each question contains three indicators of numeracy ability. The results showed that the numeracy ability of junior high school students was still classified as low, because there were 19 students who were only able to meet a maximum of one numeracy ability indicator. The percentage of numeracy ability test acquisition is 11.76% of students in the high category, 32.35% of students in the medium category, and 55.88% of students have low numeracy ability.

Pengaruh Media Manik-manik Warna Terhadap Keterampilan Berhitung Siswa Kelas 1 SD

One of the reasons for the low numeracy skills in elementary schools is the lack of application of instructional media which provides opportunities for students to practice directly and train themselves to be skilled at counting. To improve students' numeracy skills, learning innovations are needed that involve students actively through direct learning experiences. One alternative solution to this problem is to use colored beads as learning media in learning Mathematics in Elementary Schools. This study aims to find out 1) to know the application of color bead media to grade 1 elementary school mathematics 2) to find out the increase in math skills in grade 1 elementary school students after using color bead media, and 3) to know the effect of using the media the color of the beads on the numeracy skills of 1st grade students. This research is a systematic literature study. Based on this discussion, the media of colored beads is very effective for improving students' numeracy skills, because students have the opportunity to directly practice and train themselves to be skilled at counting. The results of the research are expected to provide an overview for developing further research regarding improving numeracy skills through learning media of colored beads in mathematics in elementary schools.

Low parental numeracy and severe asthma exacerbations in a prospective study of Puerto Rican youth

BackgroundNumeracy is the mathematical knowledge required to understand and act on instructions from health care providers. Whether persistently low parental numeracy is linked to childhood asthma exacerbations is unknown. ObjectiveTo evaluate whether low parental numeracy at 2 time points is associated with asthma exacerbations and worse lung function in Puerto Rican youth. MethodsProspective study of 225 youth with asthma in San Juan (PR) who participated in 2 visits approximately 5.3 years apart, with the first at ages 6 to 14 years and the second at ages 9 to 20 years. Parental numeracy was assessed with a modified version of the Asthma Numeracy Questionnaire (score range = 0-3 points), and persistently low parental numeracy was defined as a score less than or equal to 1 point at both visits. Asthma exacerbation outcomes included more than or equal to 1 emergency department (ED) visit, more than or equal to 1 hospitalization, and more than or equal to 1 severe exacerbation (≥1 ED visit or ≥1 hospitalization) for asthma in the year before the second visit. Spirometry was conducted using an EasyOne spirometer (NDD Medical Technologies, Andover, Massachusetts). ResultsIn an analysis adjusting for age, sex, parental education, use of inhaled corticosteroids, and the time between study visits, persistently low parental numeracy was associated with more than or equal to 1 ED visit for asthma (odds ratio [ORs], 2.17; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.10-4.26), more than or equal to 1 hospitalization for asthma (OR, 3.92; 95% CI, 1.42-10.84), and more than or equal to 1 severe asthma exacerbation (OR, 1.99; 95% CI, 1.01-3.87) in the year before the follow-up visit. Persistently low parental numeracy was not significantly associated with change in lung function measures. ConclusionPersistently low parental numeracy is associated with asthma exacerbation outcomes in Puerto Rican youth.

Mathematics education in the time of COVID-19: a public health emergency exacerbated by misinterpretation of data

Abstract The COVID-19 public health emergency has been characterized by an abundance of data in the form of numbers and charts. Although these data are readily available, there have been challenges associated with their interpretation—exacerbated by generally low numeracy rates. Consequently, people may underestimate the speed at which the disease spreads and the ensuing risk to themselves and others, resulting in a lack of compliance with non-pharmaceutical interventions. This article discusses misconceptions associated with the popular terms, metrics and graphs commonly used to describe this pandemic. We suggest and illustrate how mathematical literacy is necessary to understand and convince people of the necessity for various restrictions and lifestyle changes. As the pandemic progresses and in anticipation of any future outbreaks, it is important to rethink the teaching of these concepts so as to equip learners with the proper tools for informed decision making—now and in the future.

Knowledge and Understanding of Radiation Therapy Among Patients With Breast Cancer From Culturally Diverse Backgrounds at a Safety-Net Hospital

Comprehensive understanding of oncologic treatment is essential for shared decision-making. However, comprehension of information in radiation oncology consults is poorly understood, particularly among Spanish-speaking patients at safety-net hospitals. The purpose of this pilot study was to examine post-consultation radiation oncology knowledge and health literacy among breast cancer patients from culturally diverse backgrounds. After consultation for curative breast radiotherapy (cT1-4N1-3M0), the Radiation Oncology Knowledge Assessment Survey (ROKAS) was administered to Spanish- and English-speaking patients ≥ 18 years old, from January 2021 to January 2022 at a safety-net hospital. Radiation knowledge was assessed using the ROKAS which included eight radiation-specific multiple-choice questions and two separate questions regarding short- and long-term side effects. Additional independent variables included validated questionnaires related to health literacy, health numeracy, acculturation, primary language, and sociodemographic factors. Bivariate Pearson correlations and T-test analyses were conducted to examine the relationship between the independent variables and post-consultation radiation knowledge. Fifty ROKAS were obtained from 25 English- and 25 Spanish-speaking breast cancer patients (median age 57 [IQR 49.75-62.25]). When compared to English-speaking patients, Spanish-speaking patients had lower health literacy, health numeracy, and acculturation. There was no difference in the multiple-choice ROKAS score between English- and Spanish-speakers, or correlation with the other independent factors. Higher health numeracy correlated with a higher accuracy for identifying short-term side effects. Lower accuracy of identifying long-term side effects was seen in patients with lower education levels, health literacy, health numeracy, and acculturation, with the most missed long-term side effects being arm swelling, skin toxicity, and heart toxicity. Patients with low health literacy, health numeracy, acculturation, and education levels as well as Spanish-speaking patients were associated with poor understanding of radiotherapy long-term side effects. Determining barriers to radiation knowledge is crucial to improve shared decision-making between patients and providers in a culturally diverse population.

Braiding Our Lives

Adult literacy is a pressing policy issue in Canada. Reports reveal immigrant communities as accounting for a relatively large share of the country’s population experiencing low reading, writing, numeracy, and information processing skills. This paper explores how Black immigrant women who are adult literacy learners negotiate and reconfigure their motherwork while living abroad in Toronto with their families. This article presents insights obtained from six in-depth interviews with African Caribbean mothers living in Toronto. In these interviews, participants shared stories that centre the following questions: What are the literacy experiences of Black immigrant mothers who are adult learners? How can we better support their literacy journey? Drawing on an arts-informed narrative methodology, this study compiled findings gained from interviews into the creative non-fiction story Braiding Our Lives. Braiding Our Lives captures personal narratives, shared by study participants, highlighting the central role of homeplace and cultural work in the lives of Black immigrant mothers who are literacy learners.

The development of numeracy problems using light rail transit context

The emergence of this research is due to the low numeracy skills of students in Indonesia. It is due to the soft critical thinking skills of students. One of the strategies that can be done is to develop PISA-type questions and activities. This study aims to produce PISA-type questions and activities using a valid and practical context using Light Rail Transit. This research is a design research type of development research which consists of a preliminary evaluation stage and a formative evaluation stage. This study involved students of eighth-grade junior high school students in Palembang City, totaling 34 students with various skills. The analysis of the results of this study was qualitatively based on data from the field received in the form of interviews, document reviews, observations, and tests to see student activities in solving questions and activities. The result of this research is the development of PISA-type questions and activities, namely four student activities and six evaluation questions using the Light Rail Transit context. In conclusion, PISA-type questions and activities in the context of Light Rail Transit can be used in classroom learning to improve students' numeracy skills.

Beyond High-Income Countries: Low Numeracy Is Associated with Older Adult Age around the World.

Numeracy, or the ability to understand and use numbers, has been associated with obtaining better health and financial outcomes. Studies in high-income countries suggest that low numeracy is associated with older age-perhaps especially among individuals with lower education. Here, we examined whether findings generalize to the rest of the world. Gallup surveyed >150,000 participants for the 2019 Lloyd's Register Foundation World Risk Poll, from 21 low-income, 34 lower-middle income, 42 upper-middle income, and 43 high-income countries. Low numeracy was operationalized as failing to correctly answer, "Is 10% bigger than 1 out of 10, smaller than 1 out of 10, or the same as 1 out of 10?" Regressions controlling for participants' education, income, and other characteristics found that, worldwide, low numeracy was associated with older age, lower education, and their interaction. Findings held in each country-income category, although low numeracy was more common in low-income countries than in high-income countries. Age differences may reflect cohort effects and life span-developmental changes. Low numeracy is more common among people who are older and less educated. We discuss the need for education and interventions outside of the classroom. We analyzed a global survey conducted in 21 low-income, 34 lower-middle income, 42 upper-middle income, and 43 high-income countries.Low numeracy was associated with older adult age, even after accounting for age differences in education.Low numeracy was more common in older people with lower education.

Grande demais para falhar a Geração Millennial nas margens

n Too Big to Fail: Millennials on the Margins, the authors return to the question of how skills are distributed across the millennial population, focusing on the size and demographic characteristics of U.S. millennials with low literacy and numeracy skills, and the resulting impact on social and economic outcomes. They do this in part by examining the issue of “disconnected youth”, a term typically applied to those ages 16-24 who are not employed or engaged in formal education or training. Since the Great Recession of 2008, researchers have become increasingly concerned with these disconnected youth who, according to some estimates, represent approximately 6 million young adults in the United States. The focus of this research has been on their educational attainment and labor market participation. While helpful, this approach is limited in two ways. First, it focuses on only our youngest adults at a time when the transition to adulthood is more prolonged. Second, it is based on the premise that employment and/or more education are assured catalysts for entry into the middle class and improving life outcomes. The authors question whether this assumption is appropriate to current circumstances; they suggest that looking at young adults only in terms of ties to the labor market or formal education may underestimate the scope of the challenges that we face and may skew our understanding of the policies needed to alter our course.

Planning for Cultivation Numerical Literacy in Mathematics Learning for Minimum Competency Assessment (AKM) in Elementary Schools

Numeracy literacy skills in learning mathematics in elementary schools are still low. This is evident from the AKM value, which is still below average. This low numeracy literacy ability is caused by various things, such as the teacher's lack of ability to make HOTS questions and the lack of habituation for students to work on complex. The main problem that causes students to be still unable to complete learning based on numeracy literacy is the teacher who has not familiarized students with literacy-based questions. Many teachers still cannot compile numeracy literacy questions, especially at the elementary school level. This research is qualitative research with a case study. The results of this research are planning for curricular activities in cultivating numeracy literacy carried out by compiling a Learning Implementation Plan (RPP), compiling numeracy literacy-oriented learning materials, compiling numeration literacy-oriented evaluation questions with the criteria of Higher Order Thinking Skill (HOTS), and designing audio-visual and realistic learning media.