Educators' Exposure to Manipulative Materials

This is qualitative research that examines the exposure of educators to manipulative materials using a phenomenological approach. Phenomenology is a qualitative research method for educational research, enabling flexible activities to understand complex phenomena and human social experiences (Alhazmi & Kaufmann, 2022). A total of 12 participants were included in the study: 4 Math teachers, 4 Science teachers, and 4 English teachers. They were selected based on two criteria: (1) they were educators teaching Math, Science, and English; and (2) they are aware of the manipulative materials. The study used semi-structured interviews, conducted in virtual and face-to-face settings, with 30-40 minutes each. The results highlighted ten themes including educators' awareness, perspectives, utilization, challenges, independent learning behavior, learning comprehension, positive attitude, self-identity, and integration.