Abstract:
Research shows that though students are successful in achieving good scores in Mathematics, they fail to apply the knowledge of mathematics in real life situations. One possible reason of this could be their inability to build relationships between the knowledge of mathematics and its applications in real life scenarios. This study was set out with the aim of developing an interactive software application: Math in Real World (MRW) as a pedagogical tool for primary school students to help them relate mathematical knowledge of unitary method and ratios in real life situations. In the study, the potential of technology to bridge the gap between mathematical concepts and real world has been explored, and its pedagogical effectiveness among students has been studied. An experimental research design was adopted in a private middle-class school setting in Punjab Pakistan, with an aim to evaluate the educational effectiveness of the interactive software application developed for this study. A sample size of 84 students aged between 12 to 14 years belonging to grade 6 was selected, out of which, 42 students were assigned to experimental group and remaining 42 students were assigned to the control group. The two groups were given a pre-test and a post-test to evaluate their achievements in math. The data was analyzed to assess the significant difference between experimental and control group by comparing means. Results revealed statistically significant difference of scores between two groups, the descriptive analysis of the data showed progress on the part of experimental group, which used the interactive software application as a pedagogical tool. It was also found that the interactive software application helped students to learn the applicability of mathematics in real life by understanding practical problems in familiar and unfamiliar contexts and selecting appropriate mathematical solutions in an organized way and finding solutions to straightforward practical problems. Recommendations have been provided for future research that can help improve teaching practices to enhance student numeracy skills by equipping them with appropriate mathematical skills, and making them capable of applying mathematics in real world scenarios.
