Unlocking Early Mathematics through Digital Manipulatives: A Scoping Review
Keywords:
digital manipulatives; early childhood education; mathematics; Vygotsky’s sociocultural theoryAbstract
Globally, teachers are mandated to use digital manipulatives in their mathematics classrooms. Nevertheless, there is still limited access to digital technologies, especially in under-resourced schools. As a result, the full potential role of digital manipulatives remains under-examined. Additionally, South African learners continue to perform poorly in mathematics compared to learners in other countries. This scoping review examined the role of digital manipulatives in early childhood mathematics through the lens of Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory, which conceptualises learning as a socially mediated process that is supported through tools, interaction and scaffolding. To ensure transparency and replicability, this paper followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) guidelines. Guided by a structured search strategy across multiple databases, a broad body of recent literature was identified, screened and assessed against clear inclusion and exclusion criteria. In total 19 peer-reviewed studies published between 2021 and 2025 were reviewed to map evidence that is available on how digital tools support foundational mathematical development in young learners. The analysis focused on how digital manipulatives function as mediating tools that support conceptual understanding, learner engagement and collaborative meaning-making in early mathematics. The findings reveal that the consistently positive role of digital manipulatives contributes to a deeper conceptual understanding of mathematics, increased engagement and the use of visual and multimodal representations. However, the effective use of digital manipulatives is strongly influenced by teacher competence, pedagogical design and access to suitable technological resources. In the South African context, practices concerning the use of digital manipulatives remain uneven and are often constrained by shortcomings regarding infrastructure, insufficient professional development and minimal curriculum guidance. This paper contributes to identifying the need for professional development, clearer policy direction, and further context-specific research to strengthen the meaningful integration of digital manipulatives in early mathematics teaching.
https://doi.org/10.26803/ijlter.25.3.49
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