A Survey Study on the Current State of Quantity Sense Instruction in Primary School Mathematics from an Embodied Cognition Perspective

Abstract

This study employs questionnaire surveys to conduct empirical research on the current state of quantitative sense teaching in primary mathematics, grounded in embodied cognition theory. Statistical analysis of collected questionnaire data reveals: pupils demonstrate a strong demand for embodied learning, expressing a desire to construct quantitative sense through multisensory engagement and practical operations; however, teaching provision exhibits significant shortcomings. while teachers acknowledge the value of embodied teaching in theory, a structural disconnect exists in its practical implementation, manifesting as formulaic scenario creation and superficial hands-on activities; instructional design suffers from insufficient cognitive engagement, with the absence of operational experience severely limiting spatial sense development; evaluation systems exhibit pronounced uniformity, over-relying on paper-and-pencil tests that fail to support embodied teaching development. Addressing these issues, this study proposes a systematic improvement pathway: constructing a learning environment centred on bodily experience, establishing an operational closed loop of "experience-estimation-measurement-reflection"; building a bridge between theory and practice by providing a transferable repository of embodied teaching activity paradigms; deepening the cognitive quality of activity design through problem chain design to achieve deep integration of operation and thought; constructing a multi-dimensional developmental assessment system incorporating estimation ability and operational processes as core evaluation dimensions. This research provides empirical evidence and practical guidance for advancing quantitative sense teaching reform in primary mathematics, offering significant implications for implementing subject-specific core competencies.