Affiliations:
1Department of Elementary Education, Universitas Muhammadiyah Makassar, Makassar, Indonesia
2English Language Education, Universitas Muhammadiyah Makassar, Makassar, Indonesia
3School of Education, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Johor Bahru, Malaysia
Numeracy literacy is a fundamental skill in elementary education, particularly for solving mathematical word problems that reflect real-life situations. Contextual Teaching and Learning (CTL) has emerged as a promising approach to strengthen students’ understanding and application of mathematical concepts, yet comparative evidence across national education systems remains limited. This study examines the numeracy literacy of elementary students in Indonesia and Malaysia who were taught using CTL-based methods. A mixed-methods design was used, combining quantitative data from numeracy tests administered to 60 students (30 from each country) with qualitative insights from teacher interviews, classroom observations, and analysis of students’ written responses. The qualitative analysis focused on how students interpreted contextual information, formed mathematical representations, and used reasoning to solve word problems. The findings show that Malaysian students demonstrated stronger contextual problem-solving skills, while Indonesian students showed greater flexibility across different problem types, reflecting differences in curriculum structures and instructional practices. Overall, the study confirms the potential of CTL to enhance numeracy literacy, although its effectiveness depends on implementation quality, including teacher preparedness, curriculum integration, and contextual relevance. The study recommends improved teacher training and curriculum development, and calls for future research on the long-term effects of CTL and innovative approaches to contextual learning in varied educational settings.
Numeracy literacy, Contextual teaching, Word problems, Elementary education, Mixed-methods research
https://doi.org/10.21833/ijaas.2025.12.018
Syamsuddin, A., Idawati, I., Firdaus, A. M., Aswani, A., Manindar, M., Osman, S., & Fadzil, N. (2025). Comparative study of elementary students' numeracy literacy in solving word problems in Indonesia and Malaysia. International Journal of Advanced and Applied Sciences, 12(12), 207–219. https://doi.org/10.21833/ijaas.2025.12.018