The Effect of Using Educational Software on Developing Mathematical Problem-Solving Skills among Primary School Pupils: An Analytical Study from the Perspective of Mathematics Teachers in Some Basic Education Schools in Zawiya City

Abstract

   This study aimed to investigate the effect of using educational software on developing mathematical problem-solving skills among Grade Six primary school pupils. The study adopted a descriptive-analytical approach to examine pupils’ performance before and after the educational intervention. The study sample consisted of 140 pupils from five basic education schools. A 25-item mathematics problem-solving test was administered as a pre-test and post-test, with a maximum score of 25 points. The results revealed a clear improvement in pupils’ performance following the educational intervention. The overall mean score increased from 14.70 in the pre-test to 21.72 in the post-test, with an overall mean gain of 7.02 points. In terms of percentage, the overall performance increased from 58.80% to 86.88%. Among the five schools, Manarat Al-Ilm Basic Education School achieved the highest mean gain, reaching 7.53 points, equivalent to 30.12 percentage points. These findings indicate that the use of educational software had a positive effect on improving pupils’ mathematical problem-solving skills. The study recommends expanding the use of educational software in mathematics teaching, providing appropriate training for teachers, improving the technological infrastructure of schools, and conducting future studies using larger samples and longer intervention periods.