1. NUMERACY AND MENTAL COMPUTATION WITH ITS PERSPECTIVE ON BRAIN HEMISPHERICITY ASYMMETRY: WHAT’S RIGHT AND WHAT’S LEFT.
TSG 6
Ilda Salwani Ameer and Parmjit Singh
University Technology MARA Malaysia
ABSTRACT
METHODS AND RESULTS
Much concern has been shown towards improving Literacy and Numeracy by the Malaysian Government as reflected in the National Key Results Area (NKRA) of the Government Transformation Programmes (GTP). Taking this as the cue, the focus of this study was to obtain an insight into the relationship between numeracy thinking and mental computation ability with brain hemisphericity among secondary school students aged from 12 to 16. The sample consisted of 414 students from Secondary 1, Secondary 2 and Secondary 4 from six secondary schools located in a district in Malaysia. This is descriptive correlation study using stratified purposive random sampling. The instruments used were the Numeracy Test, Mental Computation Test and Brain Hemisphericity Test. The findings reveal that the student performance in the Numeracy Test was quite low (mean=36.99 (max=66), SD=7.56) as compared to the Mental Computation Test (mean=27.10 (max=40), SD=7.27). Both the Numeracy Test and Mental Computation Test have a significant relation with brain hemisphericity where high scores were inclined towards right brain students as compared to left brain students. The significant findings of this study also indicate that male students outperform female students in both the Numeracy and Mental Computation Test. All the students in this study obtained an A grade in their Mathematics examination indicating to a certain extent that the focus of teaching have become more mathematical, but the number of students with the appropriate level of numeracy skills has not risen far enough to match their examination grades. The finding is a damning indictment of the examination orientated education and raises questions about the validity of National examination results of Mathematics grades. It is recommended that further research about gender-specific education should be undertaken to analyze these situations.
Keywords: Numeracy thinking, Mental computation ability, Brain hemisphericity
Mathematical thinking is related to the brain and therefore, the process of calculating, making sense of numbers, estimation and solving mentally are related to brain. Gazzaniga (1998) who introduce the split brain studies discovered that the two brain hemisphere has its own specialization, limitation and advantages. Furthermore, it has been widely known that Mathematics subject stimulates more of the left brain rather than the right brain (Butterworth, 2002). Thus, there is a need to understand the students’ brain hemisphericity in relation to the process of solving Numeracy Test and Mental Computation Test.
TABLE 1.1:The selection of schools in Two Zones
TABLE 1.2: Samples of Study
TABLE 1.3: An example of the Numeracy Test
TABLE 1.4: An example of the MCT
TABLE 1.5: Overall Numeracy Test Mean Scores According to Gender (N=414)
TABLE 1.6: Overall Mental Computation Test Mean Scores According to Gender (N=414)
INTRODUCTION
TABLE 1.7: Summary Statistics for Numeracy Test by Gender and Grade Levels
TABLE 1.8: Summary Statistics for Mental Computation Test by Gender and Grade Levels
FIGURE 1: The Conceptual Framework of The Study
TABLE 1.9: Overall Numeracy Test Mean Scores and Brain Hemisphericity Dominance
TABLE 1.10 Overall Mental Computation Test Mean Scores and The Brain Hemisphericity Dominance
CONCLUSIONS
FUTURE PLANS
There should be continued investigation into the relationship between numeracy thinking with other variables other such as SES, IQ Test, Creative Test, KUMON and MOKHDAR’s method.
REFERENCE
Parmjit, S., Nor Aziah Alias, Teoh S.H., & Rosaizan Yahaya. (2011). Developing A Numeracy Gaming Software in improving student’s Mathematics Learning. Unpublished research for RMI, University Technology MARA, Shah Alam.
Sousa, D. A. (2006). How the Brain Learns (3rd ed.). California: Corwin Press.