In Malaysia today, challenges in learning mathematics, such as resource limitations and weakness in literacy

and numeracy among Indigenous students extend to the teaching of mathematics, which has faced significant

secondary school teachers in the mathematics field. Findings revealed that the teachers showed a variety of

perspectives on teaching Indigenous students, especially in mathematics, while promoting inclusivity and

cultural relevance in mathematics education. Furthermore, teachers reported increased student motivation and

deeper conceptual connections when integrating art-based techniques into their lessons. The study concludes

that the importance of the emergent theme of Culturally Responsive Education for mathematics teachers in

implementing arts-integrated pedagogy is to narrow the education gap between urban, rural, and interior

communities. It is recommended that this potential program should be undertaken in transforming mathematics

teaching in Indigenous schools and highlight the importance of the emerging theme of Culturally Responsive

Education for mathematics teachers in implementing arts-integrated pedagogy in bridging the educational gap

between urban, rural and remote communities.

and future educators with the community. It is one of the initiatives from various programs at the Faculty of

Education, Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM). Through the implementation of the concept of contextual

teaching and learning in real-life situations, the projects implemented were to help provide solutions to

academic issues faced by the identified community. All projects implemented also involved good cooperation

and support from government bodies, industries, institutions, private companies, associations, and related

organisations.

Among the objectives of the first phase of artSMart 8 is to conduct a needs analysis related to the quality and

equity of education. A discussion session between the main project drivers, academic and administrative staff

of the Faculty of Education, was implemented with Indigenous students, teachers, and administrators in several

Indigenous schools in Kuala Lipis, Pahang. Meetings with relevant stakeholders, reviewing and proposing the

The dropout rate of Indigenous students in Malaysian education remains one of the critical issues that has

drawn attention from various parties. Some factors have been identified as contributing to this problem,

including low literacy and numeracy skills, language challenges, socioeconomic factors, and acceptance of

education in the Indigenous community. According to.... (Journal of Gender, socioeconomic status, and

numeracy test scores) Ruslan's (2018) study found that the literacy and numeracy levels of Indigenous students

are still at a low level. Mastery of these basic skills is very important for the continuity of learning, and failure

to master them causes many students to experience difficulties in continuing their education at a higher level.

from their mother tongue, causing difficulties in learning. This language mismatch not only affects academic

performance but also reduces students' interest and motivation to continue attending school.

According to a report by the Ministry of Education of Malaysia (KPM, 2012), economic, geographical, and

cultural factors also serve as barriers to access to quality education for Indigenous students. Poverty among

Indigenous families causes many families to be unable to meet the educational needs of their children. In

addition, the location of schools that are far from the students' residences, as well as infrastructure challenges

such as unpaved roads and a lack of transportation, also make it difficult for students to attend school

consistently. According to Kawiti et al. (2025), Indigenous people and vulnerable groups are more likely to be

negatively affected and in greater magnitudes by climate change.

Cultural aspects also play an important role, where formal education is still not a priority in the Indigenous

Indigenous schools fail to achieve the minimum standards as intended by the Ministry of Education of

Indigenous students and students in the mainstream.

A study by Paiz and Mohd Anuar (2020) found that the attitude of parents in rural areas who are less

concerned about their children's education also contributes to the high dropout rate. Lack of awareness of the

importance of education and the priority given to family economic activities causes many parents not to

encourage their children to continue schooling. A study by Vivien et al. (2019) also shows that in the

Indigenous community in Sungai Tekai, most parents believe that basic education up to grade six is sufficient.

This attitude causes the participation rate of Indigenous students in secondary and higher education to remain

low. This factor reflects the challenge of changing society's perception of the importance of long-term

education.

A needs analysis was conducted in a structured and focused manner with emphasis placed on current issues

Although the interviews were done at two different levels, primary and secondary, the responses from the

secondary school teachers showed continuity and flow of needs from primary to secondary school. Therefore,

the data presented below starts with Teacher 1 (primary), Teacher 2 (secondary), Teacher 3 (primary) and

Teacher 4 (secondary). Based on the study conducted, it was found that there are teachers who are confident in

the capabilities of the Indigenous students to succeed in their studies. This can be seen in the statement from

Teacher 1:

“…As teachers who need to teach Indigenous children, they need to use the right techniques to teach all the

inputs in the mathematics syllabus, regardless of the difficult syllabus as advertised by social media.

Indigenous students need teachers who are enthusiastic and are always motivated to overcome the hardships of

teacher. The teacher also praised the beautiful, neat and readable writing done by the Indigenous children.

However, some teachers have the opposite impression of Indigenous students. The following impression is

exceeding 20. In addition, most Indigenous children are only able to memorise up to the number 4…”

This statement is supported by Teacher 3 through the following quote:

where the teacher has to read the questions and explain them to the student first…”

Teacher 3 expressed her agreement with the school principal's recommendation that teachers should prioritise

reading ability among Indigenous students so that they can continue learning according to the primary

syllabus. Meanwhile, the teacher 4 also stated that although these Indigenous children are weak in learning,

they like singing and dancing because it is part of their culture:

of Education Malaysia, including additional activities such as counting money and memorising ciphers

provided by the teachers.

many were only able to count up to the number 4 and were still weak in adding and subtracting two digits.

Teacher 3 supported this view by stating that Indigenous students needed full guidance in answering test

questions, indicating the need to focus on mastering reading skills before mathematics learning could be

carried out more effectively. This coincides with the study from Ruslan (2018) and Nor Fariha Aniza et al.

(2016), who found that Indigenous students still have low literacy and numeracy proficiency. Furthermore, the

mastery level of basic reading, writing, and arithmetic (3M) skills among Indigenous students is highly

concerning. On the contrary, Arens et al. (2014) stated it is noteworthy that Indigenous and non-Indigenous

despite academic struggles, demonstrated strong engagement in culturally relevant activities such as singing

practices. Teacher enthusiasm was highlighted as essential for sustaining learning in rural contexts, while

Music and cultural activities were also reported to enhance focus and cognitive development, underscoring the

should provide a policy that brings external resources that may help students improve their academic

performance and enhance their ability to compete with urban citizens. It would be interesting for future studies

to explore whether mechanisms that operate in similar patterns of relations could be found for Indigenous and

non-Indigenous students from different cultural backgrounds. It is not wrong if the traditional ways of knowing

and doing things can guide modern solutions for living with changes in the environment and climate (Kawiti et

al, 2025).