Slamet Arifin, Yohannes Kurniawan Barus, Toto Nusantara, Cholis Sa’dijah, Hamidah Binti Mohamad
This study aimed to (1) design and implement web-based digital interactive simulations to support first-grade students in learning addition, and (2) examine the effects of these simulations on students’ mathematical creative reasoning. The research employed a Design Learning approach grounded in the design experiment framework proposed by Paul Cobb, emphasizing iterative cycles of design, classroom implementation, analysis, and refinement to develop both practical learning solutions and theoretical insights. A total of 20 primary school teachers were involved in validating the learning design, while 31 first-grade students participated in the classroom implementation phase. Data were collected through teacher surveys to evaluate the usability and pedagogical quality of the simulations, and pre- and post-tests to assess students’ mathematical creative reasoning. The findings showed that the web-based digital interactive simulations received positive evaluations from teachers and were associated with improvements in students’ mathematical creative reasoning. Quantitative analysis revealed a significant increase in students’ scores following the intervention, t(30) = 2.56, p = 0.016, with a small-to-moderate effect size (Cohen’s d = 0.46). Qualitative findings further indicated that students employed diverse and flexible solution strategies when solving mathematical tasks. The study suggests that integrating web-based digital interactive simulations into early mathematics instruction may support the development of young learners’ mathematical creative reasoning, highlighting the potential value of game-based technology as a complementary tool for primary mathematics learning. © 2026 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.
Basic Education Study Program, Postgraduate School, Universitas Negeri Malang, Malang, Indonesia; Tun Razak Graduate School, University Tun Abdul Razak, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
