The effects of peer interaction towards mathematical understanding during learning activities among elementary students

Noor Aida Affida Abdul Rahman

Abstract

This study investigated the effect of peer interaction on mathematical understanding during learning activities among primary school students. This study gives an overview of how peer interaction impacts student understanding of mathematics. It enlightens educators and learners on the importance of communication in the teaching and learning process, especially in mathematics. The objectives of this study are to investigate students’ peer interaction during learning activities and to study the effects of their interaction on their understanding of mathematics while completing their mathematics group tasks. This study employed the qualitative approach. Four Year 5 students, aged between 10 and 11 years old, have been selected through purposive sampling as respondents. The data collected were the recorded videos of the mathematics lessons on the selected subtopics. Based on the findings, peer interaction among the respondents significantly affects their understanding. The communication among the respondents also indicated that peer interaction or group discussion is an effective tool for enhancing their mathematical understanding. Keywords: peer interaction, mathematical communication, mathematical understanding

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