Integrating Zep Quiz in Phenomenon-Based Learning via Design Thinking to Enhance Student’s Numeracy

Abstract

Low numeracy skills and students' motivation in understanding data phenomena remain major challenges in secondary school mathematics. This study aims to develop and validate a learning design prototype utilizing Phenomenon-Based Learning (PhBL) integrated Zep Quiz to address 10th-grade students’ numeracy obstacles. Employing a mixed-methods exploratory sequential design within a Design Thinking framework, the research involved 117 students across three secondary schools. Data were collected through a validated 10-item contextual essay test (CVI=0.87, Cronbach’s =0.82), a 20-item digital questionnaire, and a 5 criterion observation rubric. The initial Empathy Map phase revealed that students’ primary obstacles lie in interpreting contextual data. Consequently, the ideation process produced a PhBL-Zep Quiz prototype focused on investigating real-world phenomena through gamification. Quantitative analysis using a Paired Samples t-test demonstrated a significant improvement in students’ mean numeracy scores, rising from 57.53 to 63.33 (t = 13.356, p < 0.001), with a large intervention effect size (Cohen’s d = 1.24). Concurrently, a positive shift occurred students’ numeracy profiles, moving predominantly from the “Needs Intervention” category to “Proficient” and “Advanced”, achieving an 82% classical completion rate. The findings indicate that the synergy of PhBL and Zep Quiz effectively enhances students’ numeracy literacy. This study implies that such integration provides a novel gamified scaffolding strategy, specifically bridging the gap between abstract concepts and students’ contextual data interpretation skills.