The Effect of Teaching Algebraic Expressions with Educational Games on Sixth-Grade Students’ Attitudes towards Mathematics

Abstract

The aim of this study was to determine effectively teaching acquisitions which algebraic expressions sub-learning take place in algebra learning field to sixth-grade students by using educational games in addition available teaching methods and the student perspectives on the mathematics lesson. The research's study group consisted of 31 sixth graders from two village middle schools in the province of Niğde’s central district. One of the mixed research approaches, exploratory sequential design, was selected since it was better in accordance with the study's objectives. Both groups took the attitude scale as a pre-test before the application. The experimental group was then taught mathematics using educational games, whereas the control group received no intervention and was simply taught using the techniques found in the present curriculum. Both groups were given the attitude scale as a post-test after the application. Qualitative information was acquired by asking the experimental group’s students their opinions of the method after it had been used. Since the collected quantitative data had a normal distribution, comparisons between groups were made using the independent sample t-test, while comparisons within groups were made using the dependent sample t-test. The qualitative data that was collected was analyzed using content analysis. The results of the study showed that employing educational games to teach mathematics significantly changed the attitudes of the experimental group members toward the topic, or, to put it another way, positively impacted them. After taking into account the students’ perceptions of the process, it was determined that the use of educational games during the lesson raised interest, motivated students, increased their participation in the lesson, helped them understand the subject, and the students enjoyed the process.