The Effect of the Number Conversations Strategy on Achievement and Mental Mathematics among Primary School Students

Abstract

The study aims to identify the effect of the number conversations strategy on the achievement of mental mathematics among primary school students.

To achieve the aim of the study, the following two null hypotheses were formulated:

-There is no statistically significant difference at the level of significance (0.05) between the average scores of the students in the experimental group who studied mathematics according to the number conversations strategy and the scores of the students in the control group who studied the same subject according to the usual method in the mental mathematics test.

The research sample consisted of (50) fifth-grade female students at (Martyr Wissam Primary School for Girls) affiliated with the General Directorate of Education in Diyala/Baqubah District, for the first semester of the academic year (2023-2024 AD). The two sections were chosen randomly to represent section (B), the experimental group that was taught according to the number conversations strategy, which consisted of (25) female students, and section (A), which represented the control group that was taught according to the usual method, which consisted of (25) female students. The two groups were rewarded on the following variables (intelligence, chronological age calculated in months, previous achievement in mathematics, previous mathematical knowledge, and parents’ educational level).

After that, one research tools were built, mental mathematics test consisting of (18) items. The validity of the two tests was verified, and the KR-20 equation was used to verify the stability of the two tests. the value of the reliability coefficient of the mental mathematics test was (0.83).

 After completing the experiment the mental mathematics test were applied to the research sample. 

After collecting the data and processing it statistically using (the statistical program SPSS), the results of the research were as follows:

There is a statistically significant difference at the significance level (0.05) between the average scores of the students of the experimental and control groups the mental mathematics test as a whole, in favor of the experimental group. In light of the results, the researcher recommended that specialists in developing curricula for various educational levels focus on the necessity of taking into account the components of mental mathematics when formulating mathematics curricula, in addition to holding training courses and workshops for teachers to train them on how to employ the strategy of number conversations in the teaching and learning processes to improve learning outcomes.Finally, the researcher suggested conducting studies aimed at learning about other mathematical topics that apply to different educational stages, and also conducting a study to determine the extent to which mathematics teachers, both male and female, possess the components of mental mathematics