TIMES SINGAPORE, JAKARTA – Two lecturers of Universitas Mercu Buana Yogyakarta (UMBY) have successfully carried out a Community Service Program (PkM) through an International Collaboration Scheme. They came from the Mathematics Education Study Program at the Faculty of Teacher Training and Education (FKIP).

The two lecturers, Nafida Hetty Marhaeni, M.Pd., and Nanang Khuzaini, S.Pd.Si., M.Pd., collaborated with STKIP PGRI Lumajang. They represented by Lukman Jakfar Shodiq, M.Pd., to improve numeracy skills among Indonesian children in Malaysia.

The program was conducted at Sanggar Belajar at Tanzil, Malaysia, from February 3 to 9, 2025. It aimed to provide a fun and interactive learning experience for 25 students through a game-based learning approach.

Joymath Cognitive Behavioral Method

The PkM initiative, titled Enhancing Numeracy Skills of Indonesian Children in Malaysia through the Joymath Cognitive Behavioral Method, utilized an innovative approach. It is developed through the Matching Fund Grant, secured by the UMBY lecturer team in collaboration with CV Asa Multimedia.

According to Nafida Hetty Marhaeni, the Joymath Cognitive Behavioral Method integrates cognitive and behavioral techniques into numeracy learning. This approach enables students to grasp mathematical concepts more effectively through engaging games and activities, thereby increasing their motivation to learn.

“We noticed that many Indonesian children in Malaysia struggle with numeracy concepts. Through the Joymath Cognitive Behavioral Method, we aim to create a more engaging and accessible learning environment for them,” Nafida explained on Thursday, February 20, 2025.

Positive Student and Community Response

The initiative received an enthusiastic response from the students at Sanggar Belajar at Tanzil. Putra, a student originally from Madura, Indonesia, shared his excitement about the program, noting that learning mathematics became more enjoyable with fun games and reward-based activities.

In addition to student training, the PkM team also held discussions with the learning center’s administrator, Kholis Frendika, on developing more effective teaching strategies to enhance numeracy skills among Indonesian children in Malaysia.

“We hope this program serves as an effective learning strategy to boost children's numeracy skills and inspire other educational institutions to adopt innovative teaching methods,” Nafida added.

This initiative is expected to help Indonesian children in Malaysia gain confidence in understanding and applying mathematics in daily life. “The collaboration between UMBY and STKIP PGRI Lumajang is a great example of how inter-institutional cooperation can bring significant positive impacts in education,” she concluded. (*)