-
Title
-
“I Am a Mathematician”: Using AI-Supported Planning to Build Numeracy Vocabulary and Identity in Year 1 Girls
-
Author
-
Deane Valodimos
-
Year Published
-
2026
-
Description
-
This action research project investigated how the AI tool Perplexity supported personalised numeracy vocabulary development for Year 1 girls in an all-girls Catholic school in Victoria, Australia. The study responded to evidence that gendered confidence gaps in mathematics emerge rapidly and that mathematical vocabulary is a key predictor of numeracy achievement and self-efficacy. Seven Year 1 girls, representing diverse language, educational and social backgrounds, participated in a six-week intervention embedded within daily numeracy sessions. Perplexity was used as a planning partner to generate explicit vocabulary-focused lessons aligned with the Victorian Curriculum and International Baccalaureate (IB) Primary Years Programme (PYP) outcomes, incorporating explicit instruction, guided practice and opportunities for independent application. Lessons featured AI-informed word walls, games, co-constructed definitions and visual supports, which were continuously adapted using assessment data and teacher judgement. Data were collected using a mixed-methods approach, including “Mathematics Online Interview” growth points, Essential Assessment pre- and post-tests, student work samples, mathematician journals, interviews, teacher observations, video reflections and a reflective teacher journal. Inductive analysis was used to organise, code and interpret the data across the action cycle. Findings indicate that when prompts deliberately encoded assessment data, vocabulary targets and clear structures, Perplexity-supported planning shifted tasks from closed-answer focused activities to open tasks that elicited rich strategy talk and more precise mathematical language. Most students demonstrated growth in numeracy vocabulary knowledge and use, alongside increased confidence in explaining strategies and a stronger sense of themselves as mathematicians. These findings indicate that AI can effectively enhance explicit vocabulary instruction and support personalised learning when it is mediated by teacher expertise and grounded in robust evidence of student learning. Together these findings also offer practical guidance for early years teachers who are seeking to use AI to personalise numeracy vocabulary instruction and disrupt emerging gendered patterns of confidence in mathematics.
-
Tags
-
Technology, Teaching and Learning
