Examining The Effectiveness of Methods Used In Teaching Basic Mathematical Concepts To Preschool Children

Purpose: The aim of this study is to examine the teaching methods that can be used during the instruction of basic mathematical concepts to children in the early childhood period (48-60 months) and to determine which method is the most effective. Design/Methodology/Approach: The study utilized a quasi-experimental design, which is one of the quantitative research methods. The study sample consisted of 44 children aged 48-60 months who were continuing their education at public kindergartens under the Ministry of National Education (MEB) in Istanbul. The "Boehm Preschool Basic Concepts Test-3 (BÖÖTKT-3)" was used as the data collection tool. Data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics, and the effectiveness of each method was analyzed with a dependent sample t-test. In addition, variances were found to be homogeneously distributed (p > .05). Since these assumptions were met, the data were analyzed and compared using ANCOVA. Findings: The findings from the analyses revealed that the most effective teaching method for teaching basic mathematical concepts in early childhood was the music-based method, among the methods of music-based instruction, drama, and direct instruction. Highlights: Based on the results obtained from the findings, it is suggested that the music-based teaching method should be actively used in preschool mathematics education in order to increase children's learning outcomes in basic mathematical concepts.