Kindergarten and elementary school teachers’ numeracy knowledge and understanding
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.30650/ajte.v7i1.4200Keywords:
application of numeracy components, elementary education, numeracyAbstract
Numeracy is essential for students to achieve academic success and develop practical problem-solving abilities in their daily lives. This study aims to investigate the integration of numeracy into the teaching practices of different lessons by elementary school and kindergarten teachers in Semarang, Indonesia. The data of this qualitative research were acquired from 26 teachers using a qualitative technique, which involved an open-ended questionnaire and the analysis of lesson plans. The result of the study shows that only two of the four components of numeracy were known by the teachers. Domain I, which pertains to quantitative information, is the most prominent. Still, Domain II, which relates to spatial information, and Domain IV, which encompasses strategies, techniques, and tools, are noticeably lacking. The study emphasizes the need to provide well-rounded teacher training that covers all aspects of numeracy in order to improve the quality of numeracy instruction. The implications indicate the need for specific professional development programs to solve these gaps, thereby enhancing students’ numeracy skills and academic achievement.
Keywords: application of numeracy components, elementary education, numeracy
Downloads
References
Alberta Education. (2017). Literacy and numeracy progression. https://education.alberta.ca/literacy-and-numeracy/about-literacy-and-numeracy/
Anthony, G., & Walshaw, M. (2007). Effective pedagogy in mathematics/pāngarau: Best evidence synthesis iteration (BES). Ministry of Education.
Bautista, A., Habib, M., Ong, R., Eng, A., & Bull, R. (2019). Multiple representations in preschool numeracy: Teaching a lesson on more-or-Less. Pacific Early Childhood Education Research Association, 13(2), 95–122. https://doi.org/10.17206/apjrece.2019.13.2.95
Boaler, J., Dieckmann, J. A., LaMar, T., Leshin, M., Selbach-Allen, M., & Pérez-Núñez, G. (2021). The transformative impact of a mathematical mindset experience taught at scale. Frontiers in Education, 6, 784393. https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2021.784393
Creswell, J. W., & Poth, C. N. (2018). Qualitative inquiry and research design: Choosing among five approaches (4th ed.). Sage Publications.
Diezmann, C. M., & Lowrie, T. (2012). Learning to think spatially: What do students ‘see’in numeracy test items? International Journal of Science and Mathematics Education, 10, 1469–1490.
Duncan, G. J., Dowsett, C. J., Claessens, A., Magnuson, K., Huston, A. C., Klebanov, P., Pagani, L. S., Feinstein, L., Engel, M., Brooks-Gunn, J., Sexton, H., Duckworth, K., & Japel, C. (2007). School readiness and later achievement. Developmental Psychology, 43(6), 1428–1446. https://doi.org/10.1037/0012-1649.43.6.1428
Gable, S., Fozi, A. M., & Moore, A. M. (2021). A physically-active approach to early number learning. Early Childhood Education Journal, 9, 515–526.
Geiger, V., Goos, M., & Dole, S. (2015). The role of digital technologies in numeracy teaching and learning. International Journal of Science and Mathematics Education, 13(5), 1115–1137. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10763-014-9530-4
Gloriani, Y., Setiyani, S., Firmasari, S., & Erawati, T. (2023). Relationship between literacy and numeracy for junior high school students. AL-ISHLAH: Jurnal Pendidikan, 15(4). https://doi.org/10.35445/alishlah.v15i4.3096
Kilpatrick, J., Swafford, J., & Findell, B. (2001). Adding it up: Helping children learn mathematics. National Academy Press.
Lindström‐Sandahl, H., Samuelsson, J., Danielsson, H., Samuelsson, S., & Elwér, A. (2024). A randomized controlled study of a second grade numeracy intervention with Swedish students at‐risk of mathematics difficulties. British Journal of Educational Psychology.
Ma, L. (1999). Knowing and teaching elementary mathematics: Teachers’ understanding of fundamental mathematics in China and the United States. Routledge.
Melissa, M. M., & Kristanto, Y. D. (2024). Profil pengetahuan numerasi mahasiswa calon guru matematika [Profile of prospective mathematics teachers’ numeracy knowledge]. 8(1), 116–129.
Nelson, G., & McMAster, K. L. (2019). The effects of early numeracy interventions for students in preschool and early elementary: A meta-analysis. Journal of Educational Psychology, 111(6), 1001.
Sarama, J., & Clements, D. H. (2009). Early childhood mathematics education research: Learning trajectories for young children. Routledge.
Sayekti, I., & Sukestiyarno, Y. L. (2021). Perception and understanding of madrasah tsanawiyah teachers on numerical literacy in mathematics learning. Journal of Physics: Conference, 1918(4).
Smith, C., & Cekiso, M. (2020). Teachers’ understanding and use of visual tools in their numeracy classrooms: A case study of two primary schools in gauteng. South African Journal of Childhood Education, 10(1).
Steen, L. A. (1990). On the shoulders of giants: New approaches to numeracy. National Academy Press.
Thomas, G. (1959). The mirror of literacy: Numeracy. Inaugural lecture. University of Oxford.
Treacy, P. (2018). Integrating mathematics and science in secondary classrooms.
UNESCO. (2017). Education 2030 framework for action. UNESCO Publishing.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Alief Farida, Agung Ginanjar Anjaniputra, Sri Wuli Fitriati, Issy Yuliasri, Pasca Kalisa

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under an Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) that allows others to share — copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format and adapt — remix, transform, and build upon the material for any purpose, even commercially with an acknowledgment of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.