The use of realistic mathematics education to teach measurement concepts in elementary school: A systematic literature review
Measurement is a core part of elementary mathematics, connecting mathematical ideas with quantities and situations students encounter in daily life. Realistic Mathematics Education (RME) offers a contextual alternative, one that grounds mathematical ideas in meaningful situations and active student engagement. This study set out to systematically review how RME and Pendidikan Matematika Realistik Indonesia (PMRI) have been used to teach measurement concepts in elementary school. A Systematic Literature Review (SLR) was conducted following the PRISMA 2020 framework, with literature searched through Google Scholar and Scopus for studies published between 2020 and 2026. After identification, screening, eligibility assessment, and inclusion, 18 empirical studies were retained for the final synthesis. Most of the included studies were conducted in Indonesia and concentrated on Grade IV students. Area emerged as the most frequently studied measurement topic, followed by weight and perimeter. The synthesis identified recurring patterns of contextual learning, active mathematical engagement, learning trajectories, and the use of instructional representations and media to support conceptual development. The reviewed studies reported evidence concerning conceptual understanding, learning achievement, mathematical problem-solving, measurement strategies, and the development of RME-based learning materials, although these findings varied according to research design, measurement topic, and outcome measure. Even so, measurement estimation and several other measurement domains received limited research attention, and international evidence remained scarce. Overall, the synthesized evidence indicates that RME/PMRI provides a framework for organizing elementary measurement learning around meaningful contexts, active mathematical engagement, progressive mathematization, and teacher-guided formalization, rather than constituting a single standardized intervention. Future research should broaden the range of measurement domains studied, strengthen comparative research designs, and examine how specific RME components contribute to long-term conceptual understanding and transfer.
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