Effects of Game-Based Learning on Attitude and Achievement in Elementary Mathematics

By Kylie White, Leah P. McCoy. Networks An Online Journal for Teacher Research, 2019

63 citations recorded by the source corpus.

Games-based learning involves instruction with realistic game experiences (Cicchino, 2015). This action research study explored game-based learning as fifth grade mathematics students completed a brief unit on ordered pairs utilizing game-based lessons. Attitude and achievement data were collected mainly by surveys, content tests, student interviews, and field notes. Additional information included in the teacher-researcher analysis consisted of classroom photographs, videos, and student work samples. Results revealed that student attitudes improved both toward the lessons and toward math in general. Similarly, achievement improved for all students across the unit. Analysis of the narrative data produced three themes. First, the students acquired a growth mindset (Boaler, 2016) that fostered a positive work ethic. Second, student partner work helped them to develop problem solving skills. And third, the games engaged the students. In summary, students showed significant improvements both in their attitudes about math and their achievement in ordered pairs. Many students begin to develop negative attitudes about mathematics during their first few years in the elementary classroom (Leroy & Bressoux, 2016). By the time these students reach the fifth grade many of them inherently struggle at math, simply because they do not learn best through the common process of rote memorization. Rather they would better succeed through a process that is exploratory, collaborative, and challenging (Kebritchi, Hirumi, & Bai, 2010). Leroy and Bressoux (2016) note that when elementary students struggle, these attitudes about mathematics can be toxic to a productive atmosphere, fostering low motivation and drive. Boaler (2016), one of the leading researchers on students’ mathematics motivation, believes “the difference between those who succeed and those who don’t is not in the brains they were born with, but their approach to life, the messages they receive about their potential, and the opportunities they have to learn” (p. 5). Researchers assert that most students’ dislike for mathematics stems from the way that the subject is presented in the classroom (Boaler, 2014; Dossel, 2016; Hunt, 1985; Reyes, 1984). The current presentation of mathematics in many elementary school classrooms relies on the 1 White and McCoy: Game-Based Learning Published by New Prairie Press, 2019 sequential description of mathematical concepts, followed by repetitive drill and practice to master specific content (Olson, 1999). This rigid structure leads students to view math as a chore that needs to be completed, rather than a puzzle that needs to be figured out. Many elementary students develop mathematics anxiety, or “a feeling of tension, apprehension, or fear that interferes with math performance” and begin to dread the time of day devoted to the subject (Hunt, 1985, p. 32). Students can develop a fixed mindset about mathematics, believing that they are either inherently successful at it, or they are bad at math (Boaler, 2016). Moving away from these “fixed” practices can not only help change the way that students view mathematics, but also the way that they view themselves. Findings by Linder, Smart, and Cribbs (2015) suggest successful mathematics instruction is centered on student interests and experiences. Children are naturally inquisitive by nature, interested in the process of solving puzzles and trying to work things out. Guided discoverylearning in the classroom entails the teacher’s introduction of a complex problem which the students are able to work together to solve (Janssen, Westbroek, & Van Driel, 2014). This process of social scaffolding, helps the students to “become more motivated, develop flexible knowledge, and learn how knowledge is developed in a specific domain” (Janssen et al., 2014, p. 67). Another classroom activity that promotes student-driven exploration is the use of gaming in the classroom. Serious games, which are defined as games that were created with the purpose of education in mind, help to increase student engagement and motivation (Young et al., 2012). Other researchers (Cicchino, 2015; Habgood & Ainsworth, 2011) have concluded that gamebased learning (GBL) can be very effective for the development of student intrinsic motivation and critical thinking in the classroom. 2 Networks: An Online Journal for Teacher Research, Vol. 21 [2019], Iss. 1, Art. 5 https://newprairiepress.org/networks/vol21/iss1/5 DOI: 10.4148/2470-6353.1259 Serious games target the intrinsic motivation of students, relying on their internal drives for competition, interaction, and creativity. According to Vygotsky (1978), children are inherently social beings who learn best through investigation, and interaction with others. GBL is founded on this principle of social interaction, as serious games give students opportunities to explore concepts through the form of competitive exploration. Research has examined the effect of competition on learning. Results from recent studies have found that competition improves motivation and cooperation, and ultimately learning outcomes (Burguillo, 2010; Cagiltay, Ozcelik, & Ozcelik, (2015). In one study, Kebritchi et al. (2010) examined the effects of incorporating serious GBL into the pre-algebra math classroom. According to the classroom teachers in this study, the use of serious gaming was effective because the games were experiential in nature, offered a new way to present and experience learning, gave the students context and motivation to work on the mathematics concepts at hand, and made math fun. The purpose of the current action research study was to study the effect of game-based learning for fifth grade mathematics learners. Given the potential positive effects of game-based learning instruction as identified by the related literature, the teacher-researcher determined to implement and examine the use of serious gaming activities in fifth grade mathematics. Specifically, she studied the topic of ordered pairs and the effect of serious gaming activities on student attitude and achievement.

Subfields: Computer Networks and Communications, Developmental and Educational Psychology, Information Systems

View Paper: https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/5bf1c5ff4738aa1ab4b99ac5e1070e53a4683906