Designing professional learning environments for inclusive mathematics teachers: The role of courses, social media, and community engagement

Abstrak

Mathematical literacy, defined as the capacity to formulate, apply, and interpret mathematics across diverse contexts, is a fundamental competency for all learners, including students with special educational needs. Nevertheless, teachers in inclusive schools frequently encounter challenges in fostering mathematical literacy due to limited pedagogical knowledge and insufficient professional preparation. Addressing this gap, this design-based research study aimed to design, develop, and validate Mathematical Literacy Learning Environment based on Course, Social media, and Community (ML-LECSCOM), an integrated professional learning environment that combines formal coursework, social media engagement, and participation in professional learning communities to support inclusive mathematics teachers’ professional growth. Employing iterative design cycles, the study involved 30 inclusive mathematics teachers affiliated with the Muhammadiyah Subject Teacher Conference network in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. Data were generated through questionnaires, classroom observations, semi-structured interviews, and expert reviews, and were analyzed using descriptive statistical techniques and thematic analysis. The findings indicate that the course component demonstrated strong validity (M = 4.3/5.0) and practicality (M = 4.1/5.0), with 89% of participants reporting a reconstructed understanding of mathematical literacy. The social media component sustained professional engagement, achieving a participation rate of 73% and extending learning beyond formal instructional settings. Furthermore, the professional learning community facilitated collaborative reflection, knowledge sharing, and the application of learning to practice. Participating teachers successfully designed culturally responsive learning trajectories and implemented inclusive instructional strategies, while classroom observations provided preliminary evidence of positive impacts on student learning. These findings suggest that integrated professional learning environments can effectively strengthen teachers’ professional knowledge, instructional practices, and capacity to promote mathematical literacy in inclusive classrooms. The study offers important implications for teacher educators, school leaders, and policymakers seeking to design comprehensive and sustainable professional learning models for inclusive mathematics education.