Adaptive Technology-Based Learning to Improve Literacy and Numeracy Skills of Elementary School Students

Authors

  • Nabila Naidah Khairah Universitas Islam Negeri Mahmud Yunus Batusangkar Author
  • Caroline Cem Estonian University of Life Sciences Author

Keywords:

Adaptive Learning, Educational Technology, Elementary School, Literacy, Numeracy

Abstract

Advancements in digital technology have opened significant opportunities in education, especially in learning at the elementary school level. This study aims to analyze the effectiveness of adaptive technology-based learning in improving students' literacy and numeracy skills. The method used is qualitative research with a case study approach conducted in several elementary schools that have implemented adaptive technology. Data were collected through observation, interviews, and documentation, then analyzed descriptively and qualitatively. The results show that adaptive technology-based learning can adjust the materials and learning pace individually, thereby increasing students’ interest, participation, and understanding of literacy and numeracy concepts. The educational applications used provide instant feedback and automatic difficulty level adjustments. In conclusion, adaptive technology has great potential to support personalized, effective, and inclusive learning processes in elementary schools. This study recommends the strategic integration of technology into the curriculum and teacher training to enable effective data-driven learning management.

References

Anghileri, J. (2006). A study of the impact of reform on students’ written calculation methods after five years’ implementation of the National Numeracy Strategy in England. Oxford Review of Education, 32(3), 363–380. https://doi.org/10.1080/03054980600776506

Barwell, R. (2005). Empowerment, EAL and the National Numeracy Strategy. International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism, 8(4), 313–327. https://doi.org/10.1080/13670050508668613

Brown, M., Askew, M., Baker, D., Denvir, H., & Millett, A. (1998). Is the National Numeracy Strategy Research-based? British Journal of Educational Studies, 46(4), 362–385. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-8527.00090

Brown, M., Askew, M., Millett, A., & Rhodes, V. (2003). The key role of educational research in the development and evaluation of the national numeracy strategy. British Educational Research Journal, 29(5), 655–667. https://doi.org/10.1080/0141192032000133677

Cavanagh, T., Chen, B., Lahcen, R. A. M., & Paradiso, J. (2020). Constructing a Design Framework and Pedagogical Approach for Adaptive Learning in Higher Education: A Practitioner’s Perspective. The International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning, 21(1), 172–196. https://doi.org/10.19173/irrodl.v21i1.4557

Domingo, M. G., & Garganté, A. B. (2016). Exploring the use of educational technology in primary education: Teachers’ perception of mobile technology learning impacts and applications’ use in the classroom. Computers in Human Behavior, 56, 21–28. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2015.11.023

Ferdig, R. E. (2006). Assessing technologies for teaching and learning: Understanding the importance of technological pedagogical content knowledge. British Journal of Educational Technology, 37(5), 749–760. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8535.2006.00559.x

Financial Literacy Education. (2012). Dalam C. Arthur, Financial Literacy Education (hlm. 1–12). SensePublishers. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-6091-918-3_1

Hobbs, R., & Jensen, A. (2009). The Past, Present, and Future of Media Literacy Education. Journal of Media Literacy Education. https://doi.org/10.23860/jmle-1-1-1

Jing, Y., Zhao, L., Zhu, K., Wang, H., Wang, C., & Xia, Q. (2023). Research Landscape of Adaptive Learning in Education: A Bibliometric Study on Research Publications from 2000 to 2022. Sustainability, 15(4), 3115. https://doi.org/10.3390/su15043115

Kerr, P. (2016). Adaptive learning: ELT Journal, 70(1), 88–93. https://doi.org/10.1093/elt/ccv055

Kerr, S. T. (1991). Lever and Fulcrum: Educational Technology in Teachers’ Thought and Practice. Teachers College Record: The Voice of Scholarship in Education, 93(1), 114–136. https://doi.org/10.1177/016146819109300104

Khosravi, H., Sadiq, S., & Gasevic, D. (2020). Development and Adoption of an Adaptive Learning System: Reflections and Lessons Learned. Proceedings of the 51st ACM Technical Symposium on Computer Science Education, 58–64. https://doi.org/10.1145/3328778.3366900

Kirkwood, A., & Price, L. (2013). Examining some assumptions and limitations of research on the effects of emerging technologies for teaching and learning in higher education. British Journal of Educational Technology, 44(4), 536–543. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjet.12049

Lee, S.-H. (2014). Digital Literacy Education for the Development of Digital Literacy. International Journal of Digital Literacy and Digital Competence, 5(3), 29–43. https://doi.org/10.4018/ijdldc.2014070103

Leithwood *, K., Jantzi, D., Earl, L., Watson, N., Levin, B., & Fullan, M. (2004). Strategic leadership for large‐scale reform: The case of England’s national literacy and numeracy strategy. School Leadership & Management, 24(1), 57–79. https://doi.org/10.1080/1363243042000172822

Li, L. (2014). Understanding language teachers’ practice with educational technology: A case from China. System, 46, 105–119. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.system.2014.07.016

Liu, M., McKelroy, E., Corliss, S. B., & Carrigan, J. (2017). Investigating the effect of an adaptive learning intervention on students’ learning. Educational Technology Research and Development, 65(6), 1605–1625. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11423-017-9542-1

Martin, F., Chen, Y., Moore, R. L., & Westine, C. D. (2020). Systematic review of adaptive learning research designs, context, strategies, and technologies from 2009 to 2018. Educational Technology Research and Development, 68(4), 1903–1929. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11423-020-09793-2

Mirata, V., Hirt, F., Bergamin, P., & Van Der Westhuizen, C. (2020). Challenges and contexts in establishing adaptive learning in higher education: Findings from a Delphi study. International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education, 17(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s41239-020-00209-y

Morze, N., Varchenko-Trotsenko, L., Terletska, T., & Smyrnova-Trybulska, E. (2021). Implementation of adaptive learning at higher education institutions by means of Moodle LMS. Journal of Physics: Conference Series, 1840(1), 012062. https://doi.org/10.1088/1742-6596/1840/1/012062

Pahl, K., H., & Rowsell, J. (2011). Artifactual Critical Literacy: A New Perspective for Literacy Education. Berkeley Review of Education, 2. https://doi.org/10.5070/b82110050

Papen, U. (2005). Literacy and development: What works for whom? or, how relevant is the social practices view of literacy for literacy education in developing countries? International Journal of Educational Development, 25(1), 5–17. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijedudev.2004.05.001

Peredo, R., Canales, A., Menchaca, A., & Peredo, I. (2011). Intelligent Web-based education system for adaptive learning. Expert Systems with Applications, 38(12), 14690–14702. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eswa.2011.05.013

Ramjan, L. M., Stewart, L., Salamonson, Y., Morris, M. M., Armstrong, L., Sanchez, P., & Flannery, L. (2014). Identifying strategies to assist final semester nursing students to develop numeracy skills: A mixed methods study. Nurse Education Today, 34(3), 405–412. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nedt.2013.03.017

Rasi, P., Vuojärvi, H., & Ruokamo, H. (2019). Media Literacy for All Ages. Journal of Media Literacy Education, 11(2), 1–19. https://doi.org/10.23860/jmle-2019-11-2-1

Rogers, R., & Schaenen, I. (2014). Critical Discourse Analysis in Literacy Education: A Review of the Literature. Reading Research Quarterly, 49(1), 121–143. https://doi.org/10.1002/rrq.61

Smith, F., Hardman, F., & Higgins, S. (2006). The impact of interactive whiteboards on teacher—Pupil interaction in the National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies. British Educational Research Journal, 32(3), 443–457. https://doi.org/10.1080/01411920600635452

Soler Costa, R., Tan, Q., Pivot, F., Zhang, X., & Wang, H. (2021). Personalized and adaptive learning: Educational practice and technological impact. Texto Livre: Linguagem e Tecnologia, 14(3), e33445. https://doi.org/10.35699/1983-3652.2021.33445

Spolsky, B., & Hult, F. M. (Ed.). (2008). The Handbook of Educational Linguistics (1 ed.). Wiley. https://doi.org/10.1002/9780470694138

Steel, J., & Hudson, A. (2001). Educational Technology in Learning and Teaching: The Perceptions and Experiences of Teaching Staff. Innovations in Education and Teaching International, 38(2), 103–111. https://doi.org/10.1080/13558000010030158

Street, B. (1997). The Implications of the ‘New Literacy Studies’ for Literacy Education. English in Education, 31(3), 45–59. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1754-8845.1997.tb00133.x

Strielkowski, W., Grebennikova, V., Lisovskiy, A., Rakhimova, G., & Vasileva, T. (2025). AI‐driven adaptive learning for sustainable educational transformation. Sustainable Development, 33(2), 1921–1947. https://doi.org/10.1002/sd.3221

Tuma, F. (2021). The use of educational technology for interactive teaching in lectures. Annals of Medicine and Surgery, 62, 231–235. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amsu.2021.01.051

Wang, S., Christensen, C., Cui, W., Tong, R., Yarnall, L., Shear, L., & Feng, M. (2023). When adaptive learning is effective learning: Comparison of an adaptive learning system to teacher-led instruction. Interactive Learning Environments, 31(2), 793–803. https://doi.org/10.1080/10494820.2020.1808794

Wetzel, K., Buss, R., Foulger, T. S., & Lindsey, L. (2014). Infusing Educational Technology in Teaching Methods Courses: Successes and Dilemmas. Journal of Digital Learning in Teacher Education, 30(3), 89–103. https://doi.org/10.1080/21532974.2014.891877

Downloads

Published

2025-06-30

Issue

Section

Articles

How to Cite

Adaptive Technology-Based Learning to Improve Literacy and Numeracy Skills of Elementary School Students. (2025). FoundEdu: Journal of Basic Education, 1(1), 1-10. https://journal.zmsadra.or.id/index.php/fej/article/view/21

Similar Articles

You may also start an advanced similarity search for this article.