Integrating GASING and teaching at the right level: an adaptive learning model to strengthen elementary students’ conceptual understanding of addition

Yohana Christina Rahangmetan (Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia)
Deni Darmawan (Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia)
Prihantini Prihantini (Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia)

Lentera Negeri
Vol. 7 No. 1 (2026): Lentera Negeri

Mastery of addition concepts is an important foundation for developing numeracy literacy in elementary schools. The GASING method (Easy, Fun, and Enjoyable) has been shown to improve student engagement and learning outcomes; however, few studies have integrated it with a differentiation approach based on students’ initial abilities. Meanwhile, Teaching at the Right Level (TaRL) has been applied in adaptive learning, but its implementation within innovative mathematics learning models remains empirically limited. This study aimed to analyze the effectiveness of integrating the GASING method and TaRL in improving elementary students’ mastery of addition concepts. The study employed a quasi-experimental non-equivalent control group design involving 88 third-grade students, consisting of 43 students in the control group and 45 students in the experimental group. The experimental group received the GASING method integrated with TaRL, whereas the control group received the GASING method without TaRL. Data were collected through pretest and posttest assessments of students’ addition concept mastery. The Mann–Whitney test showed no statistically significant difference in initial ability between the control and experimental groups (p = 0.063), indicating comparable baseline conditions. The results of the independent samples t-test on N-Gain scores showed a statistically significant difference in conceptual improvement between the experimental and control groups (p < 0.001), with a large effect size (Cohen’s d = 0.83). These findings indicate that the increase in students’ mastery of addition concepts was significantly higher among students who received the integrated GASING and TaRL approach than among those who received the GASING method alone. The findings suggest that combining the structured and enjoyable characteristics of GASING with TaRL-based differentiation can provide more responsive mathematics instruction by aligning learning activities with students’ initial levels of understanding. This integration offers a practical instructional alternative for strengthening foundational addition concepts while accommodating differences in students’ learning readiness. The study contributes empirical evidence on the integration of GASING and TaRL and extends research on differentiated mathematics instruction at the elementary school level.