Early-Grade Foundational Numeracy Skills: A Pretest-Posttest Analysis Among Grades 1 to 3 Pupils
Keywords:
Early grade, Foundational numeracy skills, Numeracy assessment, Numerical comprehension, SpeedAbstract
The study aimed to assess pupils' early-grade foundational numeracy skills in Grades 1 to 3. The researcher employed a quasi-experimental design, specifically a one-group pretest-posttest design. The participants included 11 Grade 1 pupils, 17 Grade 2 pupils, and 23 Grade 3 pupils. The researcher used the validated Numeracy Assessment Tool (NuMAT) and analyzed the results using percentages, standard deviations, means, a t-test for dependent data, and Pearson's r. The pretest results revealed that the foundational numeracy skills of Grades 1 to 3 pupils were generally classified as non-numerate in terms of speed. Additionally, none of the pupils demonstrated comprehension in solving mathematical problems. However, the post-test results showed notable improvements. The speed of the pupils was classified as slow for Grade 1, non numerate for Grade 2, and average for Grade 3. While Grade 1 and Grade 3 pupils were generally categorized as low in comprehension, Grade 2 pupils continued to show no comprehension when solving math problems. Nonetheless, approximately twelve percent of Grade 2 pupils achieved ratings above the non-numerate level. The analysis revealed a statistically significant improvement in both speed and comprehension from the pretest to the post test across Grades 1 to 3. The higher post-test ratings indicate the effectiveness of the intervention. Moreover, the effect size was categorized as very large, further underscoring the program’s substantial impact on learners' foundational numeracy skills.
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