The Effect of Using Manipulatives on the Performance Of Pupils in Primary School Mathematics

Abstract

This paper investigates the effects of using manipulatives on the performance of pupils in primary school mathematics. The study followed a quasi-experimental research design involving two equivalent groups: the control group and an experimental group each comprising 40 pupils. Pretest-Posttest Mathematics Achievement Tests (PPMAT) were developed for this study. The instruments were pilot-tested and a reliability coefficient of 0.79 was obtained. The data collected were analyzed using SPSS. Teaching must be interactive, illustrative, exploratory, and student-centered. In monolingual cultures, English becomes the progressive language of teaching in the fourth year, whereas in the first three years, education is conducted in the language of the immediate area. Children are active learners who grasp concepts by moving through three stages of knowledge: concrete, representational, and abstract, according to the learning theory of psychologist Jean Piaget. The results of this study imply that manipulatives have positive effects on the performance of pupils in mathematics. It is recommended that manipulatives should be used as much as possible to better the mathematics performance of pupils in primary school. This points to the fact that conceptual knowledge founded in a direct relationship of the mathematical process with necessary manipulatives is essential to build appropriate hands-on experiences to apply learning to new contexts. Students are taking the essential first steps toward developing an understanding and internalizing mathematical processes and procedures when they manipulate objects themselves. The use of manipulatives enables pupils to explore the mathematics process at the concrete level of understanding through representational and finally to the abstract level.