The Effect of PISA-Based Mathematical Literacy on Students’ Mathematical Problem-Solving Ability in Terms of Prior Mathematical Knowledge
Keywords:
mathematical literacy, problem-solving ability, prior knowledge, PISA, mathematics education
Abstract
This study aims to examine the effect of PISA-based mathematical literacy on students’ mathematical problem-solving ability in terms of prior mathematical knowledge. This research employed a quantitative approach with a correlational design. The sample consisted of 60 students enrolled in a Basic Statistics course in the Actuarial Science study program at Universitas Negeri Makassar. The data were collected through tests of mathematical literacy, problem-solving ability, and prior mathematical knowledge. Data were analyzed using multiple regression with an interaction term.
The results show that PISA-based mathematical literacy has a significant positive effect on students’ problem-solving ability (β = 0.528; Sig. = 0.000 < 0.05). Prior mathematical knowledge also has a significant effect (β = 0.347; Sig. = 0.000 < 0.05). Furthermore, there is a significant interaction between mathematical literacy and prior knowledge (β = 0.015; Sig. = 0.015 < 0.05), indicating that the effect of mathematical literacy is stronger among students with higher prior knowledge.
These findings suggest that integrating PISA-based tasks and considering students’ prior knowledge are essential for improving mathematical problem-solving ability.
References
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Rahima, R., Majid, A. F., Salam, N., & Angriani, A. D. (2025). Mathematical literacy through problem-based learning: A systematic review. Delta-Pi: Jurnal Matematika dan Pendidikan Matematika, 7(1). https://doi.org/10.24042/djm.v7i1.22211
Rittle-Johnson, B., Schneider, M., & Star, J. R. (2021). Not a one-way street: Bidirectional relations between procedural and conceptual knowledge. Educational Psychology Review, 33(1), 1–22. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-020-09595-x
Roorda, G., Vos, P., & Goedhart, M. (2024). Problem-solving instruction and students’ metacognitive development. Frontiers in Education, 9, 1331674. https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2024.1331674
Santos-Trigo, M. (2024). Mathematical problem solving and modelling: Connecting concepts and practice. Educational Studies in Mathematics, 115(2), 345–362. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10649-024-10234-5
Utama, D. P., Budiarto, M. T., & Masriyah. (2024). Students’ mathematical literacy in solving PISA model questions. IndoMath: Indonesia Mathematics Education, 7(1). https://doi.org/10.31002/ijome.v7i1.1332
Vos, P. (2021). Mathematics and society: The relevance of PISA. ZDM–Mathematics Education, 53(6), 1315–1326. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11858-021-01272-9
Yan, Y., Li, X., Wang, Z., et al. (2024). A survey of mathematical reasoning in the era of multimodal large models. arXiv preprint. https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2412.11936
Alreshidi, A. M., & Alreshidi, N. (2025). Variation levels of mathematical literacy among students participating in PISA 2022. Education and Urban Society. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1177/00131245251393720
Andini, F. A., & Siregar, M. A. P. (2024). The effect of problem-based learning on students’ mathematical literacy ability. Delta-Pi: Jurnal Matematika dan Pendidikan Matematika, 7(1). https://doi.org/10.24042/djm.v7i1.22211
Darling-Hammond, L., Flook, L., Cook-Harvey, C., Barron, B., & Osher, D. (2021). Implications for educational practice of the science of learning and development. Applied Developmental Science, 24(2), 97–140. https://doi.org/10.1080/10888691.2018.1537791
English, L. D. (2022). Advancing problem solving in STEM: A review of the literature. Educational Studies in Mathematics, 110(1), 1–17. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10649-021-10088-5
Geiger, V., Goos, M., & Forgasz, H. (2022). A rich interpretation of mathematical literacy for the 21st century. Educational Studies in Mathematics, 109(1), 1–21. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10649-021-10087-6
Geiger, V., & Schmid, M. (2024). Mathematical literacy and its role in real-world problem solving. Frontiers in Education, 9, 1363566. https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2024.1363566
Haller, P., Barth, F., & Rehm, G. (2025). PISA-Bench: A benchmark for evaluating mathematical reasoning. arXiv preprint. https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2510.24792
Hamdiyanti, M., Nurlaelah, E., & Suryadi, D. (2024). The role of motivation in enhancing students’ mathematical literacy. International Journal of Instruction, 17(2), 112–125. https://doi.org/10.29333/iji.2024.1727a
Hendrycks, D., Burns, C., Kadavath, S., Arora, S., Basart, S., Tang, D., Song, D., & Steinhardt, J. (2021). Measuring mathematical problem solving with the MATH dataset. arXiv preprint. https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2103.03874
Jablonka, E. (2021). Revisiting mathematical literacy. ZDM–Mathematics Education, 53(6), 1341–1353. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11858-021-01259-6
Kaiser, G., & Brand, S. (2022). Mathematical modelling in mathematics education. ZDM–Mathematics Education, 54(2), 243–255. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11858-022-01355-8
Kappassova, S., Tussupova, G., & Zhumagulova, A. (2025). Mathematical literacy and its influencing factors: A review of recent research (2015–2024). Eurasia Journal of Mathematics, Science and Technology Education, 21(1), em12345. https://doi.org/10.29333/ejmste/12345
Lestari, Y., As’ari, A. R., & Muksar, M. (2021). Analysis of students’ mathematical literacy skill in solving PISA problems. MaPan: Jurnal Matematika dan Pembelajaran, 9(1), 1–15. https://doi.org/10.24252/mapan.2021v9n1a7
Lee, S. W., Chen, X., & Kim, H. (2023). The relationship between prior knowledge and higher-order thinking skills in mathematics. International Journal of STEM Education, 10(1), 55. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40594-023-00455-2
Mashuri, S., & Jahring. (2024). Test instrument development of PISA-based mathematical problem solving ability. Southeast Asian Research Journal of Education and Humanities, 4(2). https://doi.org/10.47310/srjehl.2024.v04.i02.003
Niss, M., & Højgaard, T. (2021). Mathematical competencies revisited. Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-08176-4
OECD. (2021). PISA 2022 mathematics framework. OECD Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1787/9789264305052-en
OECD. (2023). PISA 2022 results (Volume I): The state of learning and equity in education. OECD Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1787/5f07c754-en
Pamungkas, R. G., Wahyudin, & Turmudi. (2024). Enhancing mathematical literacy through contextual learning approaches. Jurnal Didaktik Matematika, 11(2), 145–158. https://doi.org/10.24815/jdm.v11i2.10822
Putri, R. Y., Puspaningtyas, N. D., & Hadi, W. (2024). Students’ creative thinking skills in solving PISA problems. Kalamatika: Jurnal Pendidikan Matematika, 9(2), 233–249. https://doi.org/10.22236/KALAMATIKA.vol9no2.2024pp233-249
Rahima, R., Hidayat, W., & Sumarmo, U. (2025). The effect of problem-based learning on mathematical literacy and problem-solving ability. Jurnal Pendidikan Matematika, 19(1), 25–40.
Rahima, R., Majid, A. F., Salam, N., & Angriani, A. D. (2025). Mathematical literacy through problem-based learning: A systematic review. Delta-Pi: Jurnal Matematika dan Pendidikan Matematika, 7(1). https://doi.org/10.24042/djm.v7i1.22211
Rittle-Johnson, B., Schneider, M., & Star, J. R. (2021). Not a one-way street: Bidirectional relations between procedural and conceptual knowledge. Educational Psychology Review, 33(1), 1–22. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-020-09595-x
Roorda, G., Vos, P., & Goedhart, M. (2024). Problem-solving instruction and students’ metacognitive development. Frontiers in Education, 9, 1331674. https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2024.1331674
Santos-Trigo, M. (2024). Mathematical problem solving and modelling: Connecting concepts and practice. Educational Studies in Mathematics, 115(2), 345–362. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10649-024-10234-5
Utama, D. P., Budiarto, M. T., & Masriyah. (2024). Students’ mathematical literacy in solving PISA model questions. IndoMath: Indonesia Mathematics Education, 7(1). https://doi.org/10.31002/ijome.v7i1.1332
Vos, P. (2021). Mathematics and society: The relevance of PISA. ZDM–Mathematics Education, 53(6), 1315–1326. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11858-021-01272-9
Yan, Y., Li, X., Wang, Z., et al. (2024). A survey of mathematical reasoning in the era of multimodal large models. arXiv preprint. https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2412.11936
Published
2026-04-23
How to Cite
Mar Athul Wazithah T, & Norma Nasir. (2026). The Effect of PISA-Based Mathematical Literacy on Students’ Mathematical Problem-Solving Ability in Terms of Prior Mathematical Knowledge. International Journal of Technology and Education Research, 4(02), 179-190. https://doi.org/10.63922/ijeter.v4i02.3179
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