The impact of number talks on the number sense of fourth-grade primary school students.

This study aimed to investigate the effect of number talks on the number sense of fourth-grade primary school students using a mixed-method design, with particular attention to students with varying levels of initial number sense and perceptions from teachers and students. A quasi-experimental design with a pretest-posttest control group was employed in this research. Additionally, both quantitative and qualitative research methods were utilized. The “Fourth-Grade Number Sense Test” was employed to collect quantitative data, while “Interview Forms” were used to gather qualitative data. The study sample comprised 219 fourth-grade students from three primary schools. Before the experimental process, all participants were administered the “Number Sense Scale for 4th Graders” as a pretest, which was subsequently re-administered as a posttest upon completion of the intervention. Data analysis was conducted using t-tests for both dependent and independent samples. To complement the quantitative data, in-depth interviews were conducted with teachers from the experimental group and twenty-two students from the experimental group. The qualitative data obtained were analyzed using descriptive and content analysis techniques. The findings revealed a significant difference in number sense between students in the experimental group, where number talks were implemented, and those in the control group, where they were not, based on pretest and posttest measurements. Moreover, while number talks had no significant impact on students with a high level of number sense, they were found to be effective in improving the number sense of students with lower initial levels. These findings suggest that number talks are an effective and inclusive strategy to enhance number sense development, particularly for lower-performing students, and should be integrated into mathematics instruction and teacher training. Additionally, both teachers and students perceived number talks as distinctive, engaging, instructive, stimulating, and enjoyable.