Enhancement of Mathematical Conceptual Understanding in a Cloud Learning Environment for Undergraduate Students

Abstract

Mathematical conceptual understanding is fundamental ability that students should have for learning practice in mathematics. This study presents a learning approach based on a development strategy for mathematical understanding in the cloud learning environment, to enhance undergraduate students’ comprehension of mathematical concepts. A quantitative research design with a post-test only control group was deployed. All 56 undergraduate students enrolled on the Number Theory Course were involved in this study. The 28 students in the experimental group were taught using a mathematical understanding development strategy in a cloud learning environment, while the 28 students in the control group were taught using a conventional approach. The research instruments were an instructional plan and a mathematical conceptual understanding test. Data were analyzed by mean, standard deviation, and t-test. The results showed that the mean score of mathematical conceptual understanding of students in the experimental group was higher than the 60 percent criterion. There were statistically significant differences between the mean scores of the students in the experimental and the control groups in their mathematical conceptual understanding in the post-test in favor of the experimental group at a significance level of .05. The results of this study demonstrate the positive impact of a learning approach based on a mathematical understanding development strategy in a cloud learning environment for undergraduate students.