LEARNING -EDUCATIONAL DESIGN BASED ON THE COGNITIVE BURDEN STRATEGY AND ITS EFFECT IN PRIMARY SCHOOL PUPILS ACHIEVEMENT TOWARDS MATHEMATICS

Abstract

The achievement of elementary school students in mathematics is considered one of the significant educational challenges, partly due to the large amount of information and skills they are required to absorb at once, which increases their cognitive load. This study aims to design an educational-teaching model based on the cognitive load strategy and to study its effect on students' achievement in mathematics.The study used a quasi-experimental method, involving a sample of elementary school students, divided into 2 sets: an experimental group in which the lesson design was adjusted according to the cognitive load strategy, and a control group that received traditional instruction. The study instrument included a pre- and post-experiment achievement test, along with a questionnaire to measure students' response to the educational design.The results showed that using the cognitive load strategy in lesson design led to a noticeable reduce in the achievement of students in the experimental set compared to the control set. It also contributed to improving students' ability to understand mathematical concepts and solve problems more effectively.The study concludes that adopting instructional design based on cognitive load is considered an effective strategy to improve mathematics learning in elementary school, and provides practical recommendations for teachers to reduce cognitive load during teaching, such as simplifying information, breaking lessons into gradual steps, and using supportive educational media.