Primary School Math Research Articles

The Causes and Strategies of Helping the Mathematics Students in Primary School

This paper deeply probes into the causes of primary school math students' difficulties, and puts forward some countermeasures. Through the careful analysis of several cases, it is found that the formation of students with learning difficulties is mainly affected by learning environment, teaching methods, students' own factors and so on. In order to solve this problem, several measures such as creating a good learning environment, improving teaching methods and strengthening psychological counseling are put forward. These measures are helpful to stimulate the learning interest of students with learning difficulties, improve the learning effect of students with learning difficulties, and lay a solid foundation for future mathematics learning. At the same time, it also emphasizes the importance of home-school cooperation, and calls on parents to actively participate in the educational process of students with learning difficulties, and jointly promote the all-round development of students.

Are Lesson Plans Created by ChatGPT More Effective? An Experimental Study

In this research, we aimed to determine whether students' math achievements improved using ChatGPT, one of the chatbot tools, to prepare lesson plans in primary school math courses. The research was conducted with a pretest-posttest control group experimental design. The study comprises 39 third-grade students (experimental group = 24, control group = 15). The implementation process lasted five weeks and 25 lesson hours. In the experimental group, lessons were taught according to plans prepared using ChatGPT, while in the control group, existing lesson plans were used. Students' academic achievement was measured with a multiple-choice achievement test of 25 questions with two separate questions for each learning objective. According to the results, students' academic achievement increased significantly (d = 1.268) in math lessons taught according to lesson plans prepared using the ChatGPT. Although there was a difference between the post-test scores of the experimental group and the control group in favor of the experimental group, it was determined that this difference was not significant. These results show that teaching primary school math according to lesson plans prepared using ChatGPT is effective in academic achievement. Teachers should consider ChatGPT and their plans, combining them and benefiting from both in the implementation process.

Inadequate teacher content knowledge and what could be done about it: evidence from El Salvador

ABSTRACT Good teachers are the backbone of a successful education system. Yet, in developing countries, teachers’ content knowledge is often inadequate. This study documents that primary school maths teachers in the department of Morazán in El Salvador only master 47 percent of the curriculum they teach. In a randomised controlled trial with 175 teachers, we further evaluate a computer-assisted learning (CAL) approach to address this shortcoming. After a five months in-service training combining CAL-based self-studying with monthly workshops, participating teachers outperformed their peers from the control group by 0.29 σ , but this effect depreciated by 72 percent within one year. Our simulations show that the program is unlikely to be as cost-effective as CAL interventions directly targeting students.

COVID-19 and inequalities in educational achievement in Italy.

We use longitudinal data from over 1.5 million Italian students to examine differences in the mathematics and reading achievement of students who completed primary and lower secondary school in 2020-21 (COVID cohort) and those who completed it in 2018-19 (non-COVID cohort). We also examine the evolution of inequalities by gender,socio-economic condition, and prior academic achievement during the pandemic. On average, the primary school COVID cohort experienced a small increase in reading achievement and a drop in mathematics achievement compared to the non-COVID cohort. The lowersecondary school COVID cohort experienced a large reduction in mathematics achievement and a smaller reduction in reading achievement compared to the non-COVID cohort. Previously middle-achieving students suffered the most from the pandemic, while highachievers gained. Socio-economic inequalities in achievement remained stable for secondary school students and somewhat decreased for primary school students between the non-COVID and COVID cohorts. Gender disparities were broadly reduced across domains and school levels, except for primary school math.

Pre–service and in-service primary teachers’ generic and subject-specific skills on Geometric understanding of symmetry: A case study

According to the curricula all over the world symmetry plays an important role in the teaching geometry at primary levels. Geometry is one of topics that have the most problematic content knowledge for the prospective primary teachers. This paper studies the understanding of the symmetry of shapes among pre-service and in-service teachers to find out their visual perception of the geometric shapes symmetry and the symmetry axis. The aim is to create a symmetrical pattern with symmetry axis of the shapes. Evidence that only content-oriented professional development coursework taken by primary school math teachers appears effective, suggests that relatively more resources ought to be put into content focused training for teachers and that changes are warranted at the elementary level and in pedagogical in-service training generally. The primary teacher needs to be able to modify some proposed problems in order to get a richer mathematical activity, being aware of their mathematical benefits. It should be part of growing the capacity of analyzing didactically the mathematics activity.

Arithmetic word problem solving. Analysis of Singaporean and Spanish textbooks

The success or failure of education systems in promoting student problem-solving skills depends on attitudinal, political, and pedagogical variables. Among these variables, the design of mathematics textbooks is thought to partially explain why students from high-achieving countries show better problem-solving ability in international assessments. In the current study, we delved into this question and compared the frequency and characteristics of arithmetic word problems (AWPs) contained in primary school math textbooks in two countries with different levels of performance in international assessments—Singapore and Spain. In our analyses, we focused on (1) the quantity of arithmetic word problems, (2) the variety of problems in terms of their additive or multiplicative structures and semantic-mathematical substructures, and (3) the quantity and nature of illustrations that were presented together with arithmetic word problems. Although a larger proportion of AWP activities was found in Singaporean textbooks, the results showed a similar variety of AWPs in both Singaporean and Spanish math textbooks. Furthermore, in both countries, math textbooks emphasized the structures classified as (additive) combine 1 and (multiplication) simple rate in AWPs. Notably, the Singaporean textbook contained a larger percentage of illustrations that reflected the semantic-mathematical structures of the problems and helped students learn how to solve AWPs (e.g., bar models). The findings are discussed in light of theories that posit that textbooks constitute a fundamental part of the teaching–learning process in the classroom.

The Effect of Using Technology in Primary School Math Teaching on Students’ Academic Achievement: A Meta-Analysis Study

In this study, it was aimed to reveal the effect of using technology in the primary mathematics education on the students’ academic achievement. In accordance with this purpose, the current study is to determine the overall effect size by bringing together the experimental studies conducted on the effect of using technology in primary school mathematics teaching between 2013 and 2019 on students’ academic achievement. The meta-analysis method was used because it was aimed to calculate the effect sizes of studies examining the effect of technology-based applications used in mathematics education on academic achievement. As a result of the analysis, the effect size of the analyzed studies was found to be 0.483. Also, a significant difference was found between the effect sizes in relation to grade level, technology-based applications, the duration of the studies, the type of the study, and whether the study was conducted nationally or internationally. It was concluded that the technologies used in primary school mathematics teaching have a small positive effect on students' mathematics achievement.

Portfolio assessment as a problem based learning model to help elementary school students’ deal with Mathematics

The concern in this study is children's inability to solve primary school math problems, with a goal to establish how students' capacity to solve mathematical problems in primary school and to describe the best method or learning model for delivering materials for the circumference and area of parallelograms and triangles using a problem-based learning model with portfolio assessment. This studi is qualitative in nature, employing a total of 30 elementary school chosen through a random sampling technique. The results showed that the problem based learning model based on the portfolio assessment was suitable for use in elementary school mathematics learning compared to conventional learning approaches because students were more active in participating in learning and the teacher was only a facilitator.

WITHDRAWN: Primary school math anxiety and physical and mental health using mental health risk assessment.

Ahead of Print article withdrawn by publisher.

Students and Teachers‟ Perceptions on What Matters in A Primary School Math Class

Students and Teachers‟ Perceptions on What Matters in A Primary School Math Class Dr. RayenneDekhinet, Dr. Ernest Afari Abstract This study investigates the perceptions of primary school students and their teachers on what practices are deemed important in learning and teaching Math respectively. For this, a survey was developed from Danielson‘s framework of teaching (2013). Four dimensions of teaching practices have been embraced namely: (1) learning environment, (2) students‘ role in class, (3) students‘ activities, and (4) students‘ progress. This study used descriptive methodology to answer the research questions. Data was gathered from 9 self-selected government schools. A total of 198 randomly selected students and 18 teacherscompleted the survey. Data analysis revealed that best practices for teachers in the four dimensions are most of the time in accordance with those identified by students. Full Text: PDF DOI: 10.15640/jehd.v10n1a15

Leveraging tangible interfaces in primary school math: Pilot testing of the Owlet math program

Abstract This paper presents pilot testing of Owlet, a math program based on two original, tangible interface devices for primary school math and their accompanying apps. We built on prior work that demonstrated promising outcomes regarding manipulatives in math education and tangible user interfaces in a variety of applications. The Owlet program was pilot tested in ten classrooms, spanning students ages 5 to 11. We found that teachers used the exploratory activities to introduce the program, and other activities to encourage differentiated, student-paced practice of math concepts. Students were interested and engaged in using Owlet during the pilot tests, leading to student driven generation of challenges. Through development, Owlet, as a whole program, spanned more math concepts by prioritizing flexibility in one tangible interface and concreteness in the other. Our findings highlight the strengths and weaknesses of each tangible device.

Affordances of music composing software for learning mathematics at primary schools

Music composing is associated with various positive learning outcomes, but in several countries, such as Finland, it is not part of the primary school music curriculum. There are several issues as to why music composing is not taught at schools, such as beliefs that composing requires extensive knowledge of music theory, lack of teachers’ confidence, lack of evidence on the method’s effectiveness and difficulty of assessment. Composing software has the potential of solving some of these issues, as they are connected to mathematics via music theory and technology, and with practical opportunities arising from adopting phenomenon-based learning at schools, the affordances of music composing technologies for learning mathematics are investigated in this study. For this purpose, 57 music composing software were categorised and reviewed. Our analysis identified eight types of music visualisations and five types of note input methods. The music visualisations were compared to the mathematics content in the Finnish primary school curriculum and the note input methods were evaluated based on their relationship to the music visualisations. The coordinate grid-based piano roll was the most common visualisation and the tracker visualisation had the most affordances for learning primary school math. Music composing software were found to have affordances for teaching mathematical concepts, notations and basic calculus skills, among others. Composing methods involving direct interaction with visualisations support the experiential learning of music theory, and consequently, the learning of mathematics. Based on the findings of this study, we concluded that music composing is a promising activity through which mathematics and music theory can be learned at primary schools.

Creative thinking in mathematics curriculum: An analytic framework

Current approaches in mathematics education promote the teaching of creative thinking (CT) to develop a deep conceptual understanding of mathematics, and many nations are including explicit CT learning goals in their curriculum. The goals alone are not enough; appropriate curriculum materials should be used in the classroom if students are to acquire CT skills. This paper describes the development of a framework to analyze CT in primary school mathematics curriculum materials. It then applies the framework to primary school math textbooks in the context of the Israeli curriculum. The framework includes nine categories under three overarching themes: lateral thinking, divergent thinking and convergent-integrative thinking. Although the CT themes are covered, the textbooks provide much more opportunity to engage with CT in mathematics in grade one than in any other grade, but the curriculum sets the same CT objectives for all students. Further, the textbooks have emphases that do not necessarily correspond with the emphasis in the official curriculum. The proposed framework permits the assessment of curriculum materials, an important mediating factor between curriculum and instruction. It can show which activities and materials promote the development of students’ CT and which do not.

Perception of Primary Mathematics Teachers on STEM-oriented Teaching and Learning

This study aims to examine the perception of primary school mathematics on science, technology, engineering and mathematics STEM-oriented teaching and learning. The main focus of the study was on teachers’ perceptions towards STEM teaching and learning from aspects of general perception, training, implementation and STEM teaching information. Secondly, to identify the challenges faced by teachers during the implementation of STEM in the classroom. The sample for this study is 40 primary school math teachers throughout the country who answer random questions the Google form. The data were analysed using descriptive analysis. The findings show that early perception of STEM teachers is positive and teachers are prepared to face STEM teaching and learning process. Despite the challenges faced by the respondents, they are still working to teach in accordance with the curriculum prepared by the Ministry of Education Malaysia.

The effect of the ethnic composition of schools on primary school maths results of pupils of immigrant origin

The effect of the ethnic composition of schools on primary school maths results of pupils of immigrant origin

Impact of Active Learning on Mathematical Achievement: an Empirical Study in Saudi Arabia Primary Schools

The research focuses on scientific instructional approaches which take into consideration the impact of such factors as influence and motivation and thus can help provide guidance on practical classroom techniques that can help in fortifying the students’ success in mathematics. The paper investigates ways to achieve better math results among students by stimulating their motivation using active learning paradigm. The study aims to explore the methods of active learning applied in primary school math classes. Our results appear to add to the literature supporting the supposition that active learning has a direct effect on the students’ success and consequently, their achievement. We provide empirical evidence for factors predicting higher math learning achievement, and accordingly, propose an improved student-centered active learning teaching method to help students develop higher-order problem-solving skills, comprising of a combination of previously verified strategies which help to foster a positive attitude towards mathematics.

Competency-Oriented Teaching of Primary School Math Problems in Vietnam

In Vietnam today, competency-oriented teaching is a mainstream trend. Students are not only equipped with knowledge, but also trained and developed their capacity to meet the needs of the society. Teaching in particular and teaching mathematics in elementary schools is not out of this necessary trend. Our article gives some new insights of competency as well as how to teach and develop mathematical competency through a primary school math problem. The article also gives the delivery on teaching a problem according to competency. https://doi.org/10.26803/ijlter.17.11.3

English

The purpose of this study is to analyse the content knowledge on graphs of pre-service elementary mathematics teachers from an anthropological perspective. 112 pre-service elementary mathematics teachers participated in the study. Concentric mixed pattern research method has been used in the study. The data was collected through Graphic Content Knowledge Scale and interview method in order to examine the content knowledge of primary school math teacher candidates related to graphics anthropologically. This scale which was developed within the frame of determined institutional recognitions includes graphic concept and its usage conditions, graphic types and different display forms, making proper transformations between graphics related to a given context, graphic reading, graphic interpreting and graphic drawing skills. In addition, for the purpose of having a more detailed review of the individual recognitions of the 10 participants, a semi-structured interview scale has been developed and used during the interviews. Data acquired have been analysed by using ecologic and praxiologic approach suggested within the framework of Anthropological Theory of the Didactic. The knowledge scale and interview data have been subjected to content analysis and descriptive analysis to interpret the individual recognitions of the pre-service teachers within the scope of institutional recognitions. As a result, it has been observed that the individual recognitions of pre-service teachers related to column, circle and line graphs conform to the institutional recognitions, however in institutional recognitions the techniques specified for column graphs are being used for histogram, hence they have difficulties in comprehending the differences between histogram and column graph. It has also been concluded that they were not aware of a theory based on graph knowledge. Key words: Anthropological theory of the didactic, ecological approach, graphic knowledge, mathematical content knowledge, praxiological approach, preservice teachers. &nbsp

Impact of Active Learning on Mathematical Achievement: an Empirical Study in Saudi Arabia Primary Schools

As learning at a primary school level is a critical process in setting foundations for individuals’ development, a sensitive and meticulous approach should be taken in the process of instruction and teaching strategy development for various subjects of the school curriculum. Learning can be divided into various types, with cooperative and active being recognized as a key component that may result in better study outcomes. Active learning has been a subject of this study. The paper explores the ways to achieve superior job math achievement among students through impacting their motivation. The study aims to explore the methods of active learning applied in primary school math classes. After the research model has been developed, a similar questionnaire survey was constructed and conducted on the sample of Saudi Arabian pupils and teachers. The subject of the study is Saudi Arabia, a developed economy that based most of its development on oil exports. To stay competitive, new strategies and ways of competitiveness need to be found. The education of its nationals is an important pillar in achieving the overall competitiveness of the country. The data was collected in primary schools in Makkah city. 1060 students and 61 teachers participated in the project. The data was analyzed using SPSS. The quantitative analysis consisted of descriptive statistics calculation, assumption testing, correlation analysis and regression analysis. The findings of the research suggest that active learning enhances student motivation. Another finding of the paper shows that increasing certain factors of student motivations will result in better math achievement. Thus, the findings of the research can be useful for the educators and policymakers to suggest introducing more active learning into the curriculum.

Development of Mathematics and Science Teacher Competencies through Coaching

Faced with impacts from globalization, rapid technological advancement and increasing competition, educational systems worldwide are racing to find sustainable ways to improve student achievement. As teachers are a direct conduit to students and their performance, targeting the development of teacher competency is an avenue worth exploring. An attractive option toward improving educational standards and achievement is coaching, as it is ongoing support for teachers. The objective of this study was to analyze existing literature on coaching in order to develop and implement a coaching system to facilitate professional development and increase instructional competencies of primary school math and science teachers at a private primary school in Samutprakan, Thailand. Data was gathered through interviews and questionnaires conducted with coaches, teachers and students, with results indicating a high degree of satisfaction, most notably in teachers, with coaching allowing them to discover alternate possibilities and bolstering their skills and efficacy.