Changes in mathematical problem-solving abilities of prospective elementary school teachers after the implementation of case-based learning

This study analyzes the changes in mathematical problem-solving abilities of prospective elementary school teachers after the implementation of Case-Based Learning (CBL) and the relationship between student engagement and post-test achievements. This quantitative research uses a one-group pretest-posttest quasi-experimental design with 161 elementary school teacher education students. Data were collected through mathematical problem-solving tests and activity observation sheets, then analyzed using descriptive statistics, paired difference tests, N-Gain, effect size, and correlation. The average score increased from 78.76 in the pre-test to 86.11 in the post-test; the difference was significant (p < 0.001) with a large effect size (d = 1.315). The average N-Gain of 0.341 falls into the moderate category. Student activity is positively correlated with post-test scores (r = 0.504; p < 0.001). Because there is no comparison group, this finding shows the observed changes after the implementation of CBL and does not prove a causal relationship.