My Pals Are Here! Mathematics Efficacy Study (Indonesia)

Report Details: My Pals Are Here! Mathematics: A Study of the Effectiveness of the Instructional Resource (Indonesia) (Ref: ESS1001/6/2025, June 2025). Authored by Dr. Charles Chew (EdD) (Principal Consultant, Marshall Cavendish Education) and published by the MCE Research Unit.

This quantitative study investigated the impact of transitioning from My Pals Are Here! Mathematics (2nd Edition) to the 3rd Edition in an Indonesian primary school. The research evaluated student outcomes across both the affective domain (perceived difficulty, enjoyment, and value of mathematics) and the cognitive domain (academic achievement on school examinations).

• Research Design: Employed an ex post facto (after-the-fact) quasi-experimental design alongside online surveys.

• Affective Domain Sample: Included 424 students (Grades 1 to 6) and 11 teachers completing 4-point Likert scale online surveys.

• Cognitive Domain Sample: Analyzed end-of-year school examination scores from Grades 2 through 5. The control group comprised the last cohort using the 2nd Edition (N = 131 to 143 per grade), while the experimental group comprised students in their 3rd year of using the 3rd Edition (N = 68 to 70 per grade).

o Note: The first two transition years of 3rd Edition adoption were excluded to account for initial adjustment periods by teachers and students. Grade 1 was excluded due to primary adjustment, and Grade 6 was excluded due to COVID-19 pandemic online learning shifts.

• Affective Domain (Attitudes & Enjoyment):

o Students (Grades 1–2, N = 127): Reported an overall enjoyment score of 3.4 / 4 (85%), with 88% indicating it made math more fun.

o Students (Grades 3–6, N = 297): Recorded an overall enjoyment score of 2.7 / 4 (68%).

o Teachers (N = 11): Showed positive attitudes, recording a low perceived difficulty score of 1.2 / 4, an overall enjoyment score of 2.4 / 4, and a high value perception score of 2.7 / 4.

• Cognitive Domain (Academic Achievement Gains):

o Grade 2: Examination averages rose from 83.9 to 85.9 (Effect size \(d = +0.18\)).

o Grade 3: Examination averages shifted from 82.3 to 82.9 (Effect size \(d = +0.04\)).

o Grade 4: Examination averages jumped from 80.4 to 87.5 (Effect size \(d = +0.49\)).

o Grade 5: Examination averages climbed from 78.1 to 85.3 (Effect size \(d = +0.48\)).

• Meaningful Effect Sizes: The effect sizes for Grade 4 (+0.49) and Grade 5 (+0.48) exceeded John Hattie's +0.40 hinge-point benchmark, indicating noticeable real-world educational improvement.

• Percentile Shifts: For Grades 4 and 5, an average student at the 50th percentile in the control group advanced to nearly the 69th percentile after using the 3rd Edition.