Teaching Aids for Remedial Mathematics Instruction: A Systematic Review

Poor numeracy skills among remedial pupils remained a critical issue for Malaysia to achieve educational goals. This systematic literature review identified research trends and evidence-based practices on teaching aids to enhance remedial mathematics instruction. The review followed PRISMA model through four phases, searching WoS and Scopus databases to analyze 29 studies from 2014 to 2023 that met the inclusion criteria. The predominant focus was on Indonesia, Taiwan, Malaysia and the United States. Mainly quantitative and qualitative research designs were utilized. Findings revealed diverse teaching aids were proposed, including digital technologies such as systems, smartphone apps, games, multimedia, augmented reality, virtual reality, as well as manipulatives, number lines and instructional modules. Both digital and handson manipulative teaching aids have been applied in remedial mathematics interventions with promising results. Key findings indicate the effectiveness of teaching aids depends on alignment with pupils' individual needs and suitable pedagogical approaches based on local context. Implications emerge for developing new teaching aids and teacher training tailored to local remedial mathematics learners. Rigorous research is needed, particularly in the Malaysian context, to evaluate the usability of teaching aids over time. Investing in specialized teaching aids and aligned instruction will help provide quality remedial mathematics education. This review highlights promising teaching aids and gaps to build essential numeracy skills among remedial pupils in Malaysia for equitable math outcomes.