Abstract:
Interdisciplinary mathematics education has become an important approach for promoting
competency-based learning by connecting mathematics with authentic contexts and other school
subjects. However, limited research has provided systematic guidance on designing interdisciplinary
mathematics tasks, implementing them effectively in primary classrooms, and evaluating their
educational impact, particularly in the Vietnamese context. This study aimed to design
interdisciplinary mathematics tasks for Grade 5, develop a practical classroom implementation
approach, and examine their effectiveness in Vietnamese primary schools. A design-based educational
research approach was employed in two public primary schools involving 210 Grade 5 students and
18 teachers and school administrators. Data were collected through baseline needs assessment, teacher
evaluations, classroom observations, students’ learning products, and pre- and post-intervention
learning assessments. The findings indicated a clear need for systematic instructional support to
facilitate interdisciplinary mathematics teaching. Teachers evaluated the developed tasks positively in
terms of curriculum alignment, authenticity, practicality, and classroom feasibility. Furthermore,
students who participated in the classroom implementation achieved higher learning outcomes than
those receiving conventional mathematics instruction. These findings suggest that systematically
designed interdisciplinary mathematics tasks, supported by an appropriate implementation process,
can enhance students’ mathematical learning while strengthening competency-based primary
mathematics education. The proposed framework provides both practical guidance for teachers and
empirical evidence to support interdisciplinary mathematics education in Vietnam and similar
educational contexts. |
