The teachers' Attitudes toward Mnemonic strategies in improving the basic multiplication facts retrieval among Inclusive Primary School students
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.37134/bitara.vol18.sp.9.2025Keywords:
Mnemonic strategies, teacher attitudes, instructional efficacy, cognitive load theory, dual-coding theory, professional development, inclusive educationAbstract
The current quasi-experimental comparative study investigated the teachers' attitudes toward Mnemonic strategies (Visual Imagery and Story-linking) compared to Traditional Strategies (Rote Learning, Multiplication Quizzes, Daily Multiplication Habit, and Repeated Addition Strategy) in enhancing basic multiplication fact retrieval among Grade 3 students with and without disabilities in 20 inclusive primary schools. A sequential explanatory mixed-methods design was adopted, prioritizing quantitative analysis to establish causal relationships, followed by qualitative exploration for more profound insight. The Non-equivalent Control Group Design (NECGD) was utilized in the quantitative phase, comprising 20 teachers: 10 in the experimental group (Mnemonic strategies) and 10 in the control group (Traditional Strategies). In addition, the authors administered a pre-test and post-test survey, which included questionnaires and open-ended questions, to measure changes in teachers' attitudes before and after the intervention. Moreover, interviews were conducted with the teachers to gather more in-depth qualitative data. Additionally, a Paired-Samples T-test revealed a statistically significant increase in teachers’ positive attitudes toward Mnemonic strategies following a one-day professional development program (t(9) = 15.00, p < 0.001), indicating that exposure to innovative teaching strategies positively influenced the teachers’ attitudes. Although the control group (Traditional Strategies) also showed significant improvement in their attitudes (t (9) = 9.80, p < 0.001), the experimental group demonstrated a more substantial change, suggesting that Mnemonic strategies were more effective in fostering a positive shift in teacher attitudes. The qualitative findings have also supported the quantitative results, highlighting the increasing confidence of teachers in using Mnemonic strategies to assist students with diverse learning needs. These results contribute to the broader discourse on teacher cognition, instructional efficacy, and inclusive pedagogy, underscoring the necessity of sustained professional development programs in promoting adaptive instructional practices.
Downloads
References
Abbacan, M. A. D., Lasangen, J. P., Calado, Z. L. F., Catalino, F. G., & Terceño, R. T. (2025). Exploring the Impact of Educational Games on Numeracy Skill Development among the Elementary Learners: A Systematic Review. Cognizance Journal of Multidisciplinary Studies, 5(1), 274-286. https://cognizancejournal.com/vol5issue1/V5I133.pdf
Baker, D. P., & Smith, L. A. (2016). Teachers' perceptions of instructional strategies and their impact on student learning. Journal of Educational Psychology, 108(3), 459–474.
Baker, S., Gersten, R., & Scanlon, D. (2002). Procedural facilitators and cognitive strategies: Tools for unraveling the mysteries of comprehension and the writing process, and for providing meaningful access to the general curriculum. Learning Disabilities Research & Practice, 17(1), 65-77.
Baroody, A. J. (2006). Why children have difficulties mastering the basic number combinations and how to help them. Teaching Children Mathematics, 13(1), 22-31. https://doi.org/10.5951/TCM.13.1.0022
Bellezza, F. S. (1981). Mnemonic devices: Classification, characteristics, and applications. The Journal of Educational Psychology, 73(6), 691-699. https://doi.org/10.3102/0034654305100224
Burns, M. K., Codding, R. S., Boice, C. H., & Lukito, G. (2010). Meta-analysis of acquisition and fluency math interventions with elementary students. School Psychology Review, 39(1), 69–83. https://doi.org/10.1080/02796015.2010.12087791
Chapin, S. H., & Johnson, A. (2006). Math matters: Grades K-8 understanding the math you teach. Sausalito, CA: Math Solutions Publications.
Creswell, J. W. (2014). Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed-methods approaches (4th ed.). London: Sage Publications, Ltd.
Creswell, J. W., & Creswell, J. D. (2018). Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Methods Approaches(5th ed.). SAGE Publications.
Darling-Hammond, L., Flook, L., Cook-Harvey, C., Barron, B., & Osher, D. (2020). Implications for educational practice of the science of learning and development. Applied Developmental Science, 24(2), 97–140. https://doi.org/10.1080/10888691.2018.1537791
Darling-Hammond, L., Hyler, M. E., & Gardner, M. (2017). Effective teacher professional development. Palo Alto, CA: Learning Policy Institute.
Davis, S. (2008). Response rate or number of repetitions: Which aspect of drill and practice testing most contributes to paired-associate learning? West Virginia University. https://www.proquest.com/openview/d1bef94d11c0c440e30e76a51e325b9e/1?pq-origsite=gscholar&cbl=18750
Desimone, L. M. (2009). Improving impact studies of teachers’ professional development: Toward better conceptualizations and measures. Educational Researcher, 38(3), 181-199. https://doi.org/10.3102/0013189X08331140
Fraenkel, W., Wallen, N. E. & Hyun, H. H. (2012). How to Design and Evaluate Research in Education (8th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.
Fuchs, L. S., Geary, D. C., Compton, D. L., Fuchs, D., Hamlett, C. L., & Bryant, J. D. (2010). The contributions of numerosity and domain-general abilities to school readiness. Child Development, 81(5), 1520–1533. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8624.2010.01489.x
Geary, D. C., Hoard, M. K., Nugent, L., & Bailey, D. H. (2012). Mathematical cognition deficits in children with learning disabilities and persistent low achievement: A five-year longitudinal study. Journal of Educational Psychology, 104(1), 206–223.
Gravetter, F. J., & Wallnau, L. B. (2017). Statistics for the Behavioral Sciences (10th ed.). Cengage Learning.
Guskey, T. R. (2002). Professional development and teacher change. Teachers and Teaching: Theory and Practice, 8(3), 381–391. https://doi.org/10.1080/135406002100000512
Huang, J., & Chao, L. (1999). Specific Intervention for Multiplication Skill with Learning Disabled Students. Psychological Reports, 84, 662. https://doi.org/10.2466/pr0.1999.84.2.662
Kartal, B. (2020). Pre-service science and mathematics teachers' teaching efficacy beliefs and attitudes toward teaching: A partial correlation research. Australian Journal of Teacher Education (Online), 45(9), 42–61.
Kaufman, A. (2017). Teacher attitudes toward inclusive education: A review of the literature. International Journal of Inclusive Education, 21(6), 567–578.
Kennedy, M. M. (2016). How does professional development improve teaching? Review of educational research, 86(4), 945–980.
Kling, G., & Kline, K. (2025). Visual Imagery as a Catalyst for Multiplication Fact Fluency and Multiplicative Understanding. International Journal of Science and Mathematics Education, 1–24. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10763-025-10541-2
Kumar, K., & Anjum, S. (2023). A comparative analysis of traditional memorization vs. keyword Mnemonics in information retention. Journal for ReAttach Therapy and Developmental Diversities, 6(9s)(2), 1853-1859.
Landerl, K. (2014). How specific is specific disorder of arithmetic skills? The Routledge International Handbook of Dyscalculia and Mathematical Learning, 115–124. New York: Routledge.
Loreman, T., Deppeler, J., & Harvey, D. (2005). Inclusive education: A practical guide to supporting diversity in the classroom. Psychology Press.
Lubin, J., & Polloway, E. A. (2016). Mnemonic instruction in science and social studies for students with learning problems: a review. Learning disabilities: A Contemporary Journal, 14(2), 207–224. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1118431
Lund, K., McLaughlin, T. F., Neyman, J., & Everson, M. (2012). The effects of DI flashcards and math racetrack on multiplication facts for two elementary students with learning disabilities. The Journal of Special Education Apprenticeship, 1(1), 4.https://doi.org/10.58729/2167-3454.1003
Maccini, P., Mulcahy, C. A., & Wilson, M. G. (2007). A follow-up of mathematics interventions for secondary students with learning disabilities. Learning Disabilities Research & Practice, 22(1), 58–74. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-5826.2007.00231.x
Mastropieri, M. A., & Scruggs, T. E. (2010). The inclusive classroom: Strategies for effective instruction. Pearson Higher Ed.
Miller, A. (2020). Using Mnemonic Strategies to support math instruction for students with learning disabilities. Learning Disabilities Research & Practice, 35(1), 56–67.
Miller, M. S., & Glover, C. J. (2018). The effectiveness of Mnemonic Strategies in teaching elementary mathematics. Journal of Special Education, 51(4), 234–245.
Nanda, A., & Rani, R. (2025). Exploring the proficiency of basic mathematical facts among primary mathematics teachers. Asian Journal for Mathematics Education, 27527263241307975. https://doi.org/10.1177/275272632413079
National Council of Teachers of Mathematics. (2020). Catalyzing change in early childhood and elementary mathematics: Initiating critical conversations. Author.
National Mathematics Advisory Panel. (2008). Foundations for success: The final report of the National Mathematics Advisory Panel. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Education
Oluwaseun, O., Tolulope, F., Lukuman, B., & Ikechukwu, E. C. (2020). Improving pre-service teachers’ memory and retention using durable memory strategies in an instructional technology course. American Journal of Educational Research, 8(11), 847-855.
O’Connor, R. E. (2014). Teaching word recognition: Effective strategies for students with learning difficulties. Guilford Publications.
Orefice, F. (2013). The Effects of Timed Multiplication Fact Drills on 5th Graders' Ability to Master, Maintain and Apply Their Multiplication Facts to Higher-Order Thinking Problems That Require Multiplication to Solve (Master's thesis, Caldwell College). https://www.proquest.com/openview/8ff9786ee8eef6d8f6cd0ab367adbb2f/1?cbl=18750&pq-origsite=gscholar
Paivio, A. (1990). Mental representations: A dual-coding approach. Oxford University Press.
Patton, M. Q. (1999). Enhancing the quality and credibility of qualitative analysis. Health Services Research, 34(5 Pt 2), 1189–1208. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC1089059/
Scruggs, T. E., & Mastropieri, M. A. (2000). The effectiveness of Mnemonic instruction for students with learning and behavior problems: An update and research synthesis. Journal of Behavioral Education, 10(2), 163–173. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1016640214368
Shorten, A., & Smith, J. (2017). Mixed methods research: expanding the evidence base. Evidence-based nursing, 20(3), 74-75. https://doi.org/10.1136/eb-2017-102699
Siegler, R. S., & Braithwaite, D. W. (2017). Numerical development. Annual review of psychology, 68(1), 187-213. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-psych-010416-044101
Treacy, R., Derby, K. M., McLaughlin, T. F., & Schlettert, E. (2012). The effects of flashcards and student selected reinforcers with goals and additional practice with multiplication facts for two intermediate elementary students with behavior disorders. Academic Research International, 2(1), 469. http://www.savap.org.pk/journals/ARInt./Vol.2(1)/2012(2.1-47).pdf
Wong, B., & Butler, D. L. (Eds.). (2012). Learning about learning disabilities (4th ed.). Academic Press.
Wulandary, V. (2020). Applying Mnemonic to Help Students with Mathematics Difficulties Memorizing the Basic Multiplication Facts [Unpublished master’s thesis]. Hiroshima University.
Wulandary, V., & Kawai, N. (2024). The Efficacy of Mnemonic Strategies in Improving the Basic Multiplication Facts Retrieval. Journal of Education for Sustainability and Diversity, 3(1), 211-237. https://doi.org/10.57142/jesd.v3i1.614
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Norimune Kawai, Verra Wulandary
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
