Teaching how to solve arithmetic word problems has long been an interest of mathematics educators due to the challenges that students face when working with word problems. A digital game and an accompanying module were developed to support the problem-solving process of second-grade students when working on word problems involving addition and subtraction. The study sought to evaluate the effectiveness of the newly developed module and game in terms of increasing students’ performance in solving addition and subtraction word problems. Four second-grade classes (n = 94) from a private school in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, participated in this quasi-experimental study using an experimental-group-only design. The experimental group used the study materials for two weeks. Data collection tools included two content-aligned parallel mathematics achievement tests used as pre- and post-tests and a post-intervention questionnaire consisting of five Likert-type questions to find out students’ opinions about the game. Analysis of the pre- and post-tests showed a substantial improvement in students’ problem-solving performance after using the digital game and module (pre-test mean: 31.3; post-test mean: 65.8, t(164) = 12.84, p < 0.001). The effect size (Cohen’s d = 1.96) indicated a very large learning gain. The overall average rating across all items in the student questionnaire was 3.81 out of 4, indicating that students found the game highly engaging and helpful. While causal claims are limited by the study design, the findings suggest that the developed game and module can support Grade 2 students’ learning of arithmetic word problem solving.

Authors:
Evrim Erbilgin, Emirates College for Advanced Education, United Arab Emirates

About the Presenter(s)
Dr Evrim Erbilgin is a University Associate Professor/Senior Lecturer at Emirates College for Advanced Education in United Arab Emirates

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