10 – 12 November 2026
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Dubai World Trade Centre Sheikh Saeed Halls 1, 2 & 3
Halima Ahmed Lal Alblooshi
Graduate Student - Higher Colleges of Technology
Halima Ahmed Lal Alblooshi is a graduating student from the Higher Colleges of Technology, completing her Bachelor of Education in Early Childhood Education. Her applied research project, “From Trash to Class: Teaching Kindergarten Mathematics Using Repurposed Materials,” demonstrates innovation, sustainability, and educational impact. This outstanding work was awarded 1st place at the 2025 HCT Education Research Conference, highlighting her potential as a valuable contributor to the research community.
Speaker Sessions
Workshop Space
1627
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From Trash to Class: Teaching Kindergarten Mathematics Using Repurposed Materials
Session Summary:
One innovative way to enhance students’ motivation to learn mathematics is by using repurposed materials as instructional resources. This study explores the impact of repurposed materials on developing pre-requisite math skills in 4- to 5-year-old kindergarten students in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Specifically, it examines how a six-week intervention influenced students’ verbal counting, one-to-one correspondence, number identification, numeral comparison, and numeral combination. Additionally, the study investigates teacher perceptions toward using repurposed materials as instructional tools in math lessons. A mixed-methods research design was employed, incorporating pretest-posttest assessments, observations, an attitude test, artifacts, interviews, surveys, and Likert-scale. The study involved 23 kindergarten students and 9 early childhood educators from a UAE government school. Data collection included structured assessments to track student progress, interviews, survey, and Likert-Scale to capture teacher insights, and classroom observations to evaluate engagement. Findings revealed notable improvements in students’ prerequisite math skills, with repurposed materials fostering creativity, problem-solving, and active participation. Results from the attitude test indicated that students developed highly positive attitudes toward learning mathematics. Teachers reported that repurposed materials promoted interactive learning and supported UAE sustainability goals. Future research could explore professional development programs to help teachers design and implement hands-on math lessons using repurposed materials, addressing implementation challenges.
