E-Book Based on Local Wisdom to Improve Students’ Numeracy Skill: Is It Effective?

Abstract

21st-century technology in education makes it straightforward for teachers to support students for independent learning. Technology facilitates students to access information, create innovations, and increase student interest in learning. Previous studies proffered that better learning outcomes were achieved by students who used e-books than those with regular printed books. This quasi-experimental study tested the effectiveness of e-book based on local wisdom in improving students' numeracy skill. This study used a non-equivalent groups design. The sample was seventh-grade secondary school students. An experiment class comprised 30 students and a control class involved 32 students. The experimental class used the local wisdom-based e-book in learning mathematics. Meanwhile, the control class did not use the local wisdom-based e-book in learning mathematics. The two classes were taught the same lesson of social arithmetic. The sample selection used random cluster sampling. The employed instrument was a numeracy test for pretest and posttest. It was validated, tried out, and analyzed to determine the feasibility before the test. This study shows that the students' mean scores of the experimental class are greater than the control class. It was deduced that the use of e-book based on local wisdom is effective since it could improve students' numeracy skill.