Piagetian Learning Centres and Foundational Numeracy Development in Grade Two Classrooms in the UAE

Interactive learning centres grounded in Piagetian constructivism are increasingly positioned as a pedagogical approach that merges purposeful play with structured mathematical learning. However, robust evidence of their impact in Gulf-region primary contexts remains limited. This study examined the effectiveness of Piagetian learning centres in strengthening Grade 2 students’ foundational mathematics skills in a government school in the United Arab Emirates. A comparative mixed-methods design was employed across eight Grade 2 classes, where 94 students participated in Piagetian constructivist mathematics learning-centre activities, while 91 students received conventional teacher-led instruction. Students completed pre- and post-assessments targeting key basic mathematics competencies, including verbal counting, one-to-one counting, counting a subset, subitising, numeral comparison, set comparison, number order, numeral identification, set-to-numerals, story problems, and number combinations. To contextualise learning outcomes, qualitative evidence was triangulated through classroom observations, teacher interviews, and a perception survey completed by seven teachers. Results indicated statistically significant gains favouring the learning-centre approach across most assessed skill domains, alongside teacher-reported increases in student engagement, motivation, and hands-on mathematical reasoning. Implementation constraints were also identified, notably limited classroom space, resource availability, and time demands. These findings suggest that Piagetian learning centres can serve as a scalable, learner-centred approach to improving early mathematical proficiency in UAE classrooms, provided that systemic supports are developed to strengthen feasibility and sustainability.