The Effects of Active Recreational Math Games on Math Anxiety and Performance in Primary School Children: An Experimental Study

Abstract

<p>This study investigates the effect of active recreational maths games (ARMG) on 1st grade male students’ maths anxiety and performance. The sample was divided into two groups: an experimental group (N=28), which was taught maths with ARMG in addition to traditional teaching methods, and a control group (N=30), which was taught with traditional teaching methods only. The ARMG consisted of 24 sessions taking place over a period of two months. Students participated in three sessions per week, each of which lasted 45 minutes. The findings revealed a significant negative correlation (r=-0.482; p&lt;0.05) between maths anxiety and students’ performance. A significant difference (α= 0.05) in maths anxiety and performance emerged between the experimental and control groups. The experimental group obtained lower maths anxiety scores and higher performance scores than the control group. Considering these results, the study proposes several recommendations and suggestions to develop maths teaching with ARMG.</p>