ENHANCING MATHEMATICAL LITERACY THROUGH METAVERSE-BASED LEARNING: A CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK FOR LOWER SECONDARY STUDENTS IN MALAYSIA

Source abstract

Mathematical literacy requires students to use mathematics meaningfully when responding to problems both within and beyond the classroom. However, applying mathematical knowledge in unfamiliar and contextualised situations remains challenging for many learners. This conceptual paper examines how metaverse-based learning may support mathematical literacy among lower secondary students in Malaysia. Drawing on constructivist perspectives and literature on immersive learning and mathematics education, the paper develops a framework centred on Minecraft Education. The framework considers immersion, interaction, collaboration, and visualisation as affordances of the learning environment rather than assuming that the use of immersive technology itself leads to improved learning. Their educational relevance is considered through three learning processes: student engagement, spatial reasoning, and mathematical problem-solving. These processes are linked to mathematical literacy through students' ability to formulate situations mathematically, employ appropriate mathematical concepts and procedures, and interpret or evaluate mathematical outcomes in context (OECD, 2023). Geometry, measurement, coordinates, and ratios are identified as possible mathematical contexts for applying the framework rather than as constructs within it. As the paper is conceptual, no intervention or experimental findings are reported. A quasi-experimental approach is instead presented as one possible direction for future empirical validation in Malaysian lower secondary classrooms. By distinguishing the affordances of the learning environment from the processes through which students engage with mathematics, the framework offers a basis for investigating how immersive learning experiences may contribute to mathematical literacy.