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THE POWER OF EDUCATIONAL GAMES IN MATHEMATICS TEACHING: A MIXED STUDY ON MATHEMATICS ANXIETY AND ACHIEVEMENT

2025    Ayşe Önal; Sevinç Namlı

This study aimed to examine the effect of educational games on the mathematics anxiety levels and mathematics achievement of 3^rd-grade primary school students. The study group consisted of 3^rd-grade students attending a primary school in Afyonkarahisar Province, Turkey, during the 2023-2024 academic year. The study was conducted with two groups: one experimental and one control group. The Mathematics Anxiety Scale for 3^rd and 4^th Grade Children and a mathematics achievement test for 3^rd graders were used as pre-tests for the classes, while a semi-structured interview form was used to gather the opinions of the students and the classroom teacher regarding the implementation. The study was designed according to the mixed-method approach. Frequency and percentage calculations, arithmetic mean and standard deviation, independent groups t-test, repeated measures analysis of variance, and content analysis were used to analyze the data.

The quantitative findings of the study revealed that the mathematics anxiety levels of the experimental group decreased, while those of the control group increased. Additionally, the mathematics achievement scores of the experimental group increased, whereas those of the control group decreased. The qualitative findings supported the quantitative results, indicating that mathematics anxiety decreases with the use of games and that games help students better understand mathematics. Furthermore, participants expressed that the game-based implementation was enjoyable and fun, should be continued, and raised awareness among teachers regarding the use of games in education.

As a result, it was demonstrated that educational games designed based on mathematics topics reduce mathematics anxiety and enhance mathematics achievement in primary school students. Additionally, game-based implementations are perceived as fun and enjoyable, should be widely implemented, and require increased awareness and support among classroom teachers. It can also be concluded that engaging activities reduce anxiety and have positive effects on academic achievement. Based on these findings, it is recommended that game examples and materials be incorporated into the curriculum, that school conditions be adjusted to support game-based learning, and that the significance of games be emphasized in undergraduate and in-service teacher training programs.