Research and Practical Innovation on the Application of Gamification Teaching in Primary School Mathematics Classrooms

Zhao Qi   【China】

Abstract:

With the deepening of the new curriculum reform, the shortcomings of traditional "indoctrination" mathematics teaching have become increasingly apparent. This method often overlooks the individual differences of students, resulting in a lack of initiative and interest among students, a dull classroom atmosphere, and a failure to stimulate students' creativity and ability. This paper proposes to use "gamification teaching" as a core innovative path, through the design of hierarchical game tasks, the construction of life-oriented scenarios, and a evaluation mechanism, to stimulate the intrinsic motivation of primary school students in mathematics learning.

Firstly, hierarchical game tasks can set different challenges according to the different levels and interests of students allowing each student to find a suitable difficulty level, thus enhancing their sense of achievement and confidence. For example, younger students can familiarize themselves with basic addition and subtraction operations through number puzzle games, while older students can participate in more complex strategy games, such as puzzle games or logic reasoning games, to improve their mathematical thinking and problem-solving abilities.Secondly, building life-oriented scenarios can make mathematics learning closer to real life, allowing students to understand and apply mathematical knowledge in real situations. For example, teachers can design a simulating supermarket shopping, allowing students to practice calculating the total price and making change in the process of purchasing goods, or by designing tasks such as building model buildings, to help students understand shapes and spatial relationships.

Finally, a dynamic evaluation mechanism can provide timely feedback on students' learning progress, encouraging them to continuously improve and progress. This evaluation not only focuses the results but also on the process, by recording the performance and progress of students in the game, giving personalized guidance and suggestions, helping them discover their strengths and weaknesses, and thus more targeted learning plans.

The research, combined with teaching practice cases, has verified the effectiveness of this model in improving computational ability, spatial concepts, and application awareness. For example in an experimental class in a certain elementary school, through the implementation of gamification teaching, students' computational speed and accuracy have significantly improved, and their spatial concepts have also been significantly enhanced. They have shown stronger application awareness and innovation when solving practical problems. These results provide new ideas for the reform of elementary mathematics teaching and promote the innovation and progress of educational concepts methods.

Keywords: Gamification Teaching; Hierarchical Tasks; Life Situations; Dynamic Evaluation; Core Literacies

Ⅰ. Theoretical Basis

aget's Cognitive Development Theory: Children aged 7-12 are in the "Concrete Operations Stage," during which they begin to acquire logical thinking abilities, these abilities need to be constructed and reinforced through concrete physical operations. For example, they can gradually understand spatial relations, numerical concepts, and causal relationships through actual operation activities such as puzzles building blocks.

Situated Learning Theory: Knowledge is more easily internalized when activated in real situations, which means that abstract concepts can be significantly improved by incorporating them into life scenarios. Games, as a way of simulating life scenarios, can not only arouse children's interest but also allow them to naturally master new knowledge through interaction. For, role-playing games can allow children to experience different social roles,to better understand social rules and interpersonal relationships.

Ⅱ. Design principles

Ⅲ. Innovative Practice Strategies for Gamified Teaching

(a) Calculation-based Games: From Mechanical Training to Strategic

Case 1: "24-Point Arena"

Adapting the traditional 24-point game to incorporate a tiered mechanism.

Primary Task: The cards include numbers 1-9 (e.g., 3, 4, 5, 6 → (5-3)×(6 4)=0), which are brightly colored and feature cute cartoon patterns to capture students' attention.

Advanced Task: Fraction cards are introduced (e.g., 12, 3, 4, 6 → (6÷1/2)×(4-3)=12), designed with a translucent material to visually the concept of fractions. Additionally, detailed steps and hints for solving problems are provided on the back of the cards to help students understand complex calculations.

Students choose the difficulty level cards through strategy, enhance their flexibility in calculations through competition, and the process is accompanied by cheerful background music and encouraging voice prompts, making the learning process more vivid and interesting.

(b) Graphical and Geometric Games: From Abstract to Concrete

Case 2: "Cube Architect"

Upgrading based on the inspiration of Tangram:Task Package: Given the total length of the edges of a rectangular prism (e.g., 48cm), students work in groups to build an open-topped box with the largest volume; during the building process, students need to measure each side carefully and find the best solution by calculating and comparing the volume of different combinations.

Props Cuttable grid paper, glue sticks, and rulers; the clear lines on the grid paper help students cut precisely, and the ruler ensures every inch is accurate, while the glue stick used to fix the shape, making the box more stable.

Objective: Understand the impact of edge length changes on volume and permeate the idea of optimization. In this process students not only learn how to calculate the volume of a rectangular prism but also experience the practical application of optimizing the design by adjusting the edge length.

The results show that the class students' spatial imagination test scores are 23% higher than those of the control class. This indicates that through hands-on practice and concrete operation, students' spatial thinking has been significantly improved.

(c) Application-based Games: Interdisciplinary Integration

Case 3: "Campus Planner"

Integrating Mathematical and Engineering Thinking:

Task: Design a rectangular flower bed for the school using 200 meters of f

Requirements: ①The ratio of length to width is 3:2; ② Reserve a 1-meter-wide passage around the flower bed; ③ the area available for planting

Group Presentation of Schemes → Class Vote → Design Optimization

This game reinforces students' application of proportions through hands-on practice, cultivating estimation skills and critical thinking. During the design process, students need to measure and calculate carefully to ensure that every section of the fence is fully utilized. They also need to consider the of the passage to guarantee the aesthetics and practicality of the flower bed. Ultimately, the best design scheme is selected through a class vote and further optimized to meet both aesthetic standards functional needs.

IV. Practical Results and Data Analysis

A controlled experiment was conducted in the fourth grade of Y Primary School in City X (n=120 to assess the effectiveness of the new teaching method by comparing the learning outcomes of the experimental group and the control group. The experimental group adopted innovative teaching strategies, including interactive learning, group, and multimedia-assisted teaching, while the control group continued with traditional teaching methods. The experiment lasted for one semester, during which tests and questionnaire surveys were regularly conducted to collect data students' academic performance, classroom participation, and learning attitudes. The data analysis revealed that the average score of the students in the experimental group improved by 15%, their participation increased by 20%, and they showed higher interest and enthusiasm in learning in the questionnaire. These results indicate that the new teaching method has significantly improved students' learning outcomes providing strong evidence for future promotion.

Student interview feedback: "Now attending math class feels like an adventure, each problem is like a hidden, and the process of solving them is full of challenges and fun. Solving difficult problems is like defeating the BOSS in a game, the sense of accomplishment is unparalleled, and makes you want to continue exploring more unknown territories."

V. Discussion: Boundaries and Innovative Directions of Gamified Instruction

(a) Avoid PitfallsAvoid "entertainment" in game design, and focus on the essence of mathematics. For example, in "Understanding Angles," a better option than "Protractoroting" is "Using two sticks to set the specified angle and verify," which closely revolves around the static definition and measurement method of angles. In this process, students can hands-on, adjusting the angle of the sticks to intuitively feel the size and change of different angles, enhancing their understanding of the concept of angles. At the same time this hands-on practice can also cultivate students' spatial imagination and practical operation ability, allowing them to not only gain fun in the game but also deeply understand the essence of mathematical knowledge

(b) Innovative Extensions

Integration of traditional culture: introduce traditional intellectual games such as Huarong Road and Nine Link Puzzle, which not only test players spatial thinking and logical reasoning ability but also contain rich historical and cultural backgrounds. For example, Huarong Road originated from the story of the Three Kingdoms period, and the Nine Puzzle has a thousand-year history. Through these games, students can learn about the history of mathematics in entertainment, such as classic algorithms and problem-solving methods in "ine Chapters of Arithmetic," thus deepening their understanding and interest in mathematics.

Dynamic evaluation mechanism: adopt a "rank promotion system" (Bronze → King) This mechanism, similar to the ranking system in esports, can stimulate students' competitive consciousness and the motivation to make continuous progress. Each unit test is no longer a simple exam but challenge to oneself to advance. By completing these tasks, students can not only gain a sense of accomplishment but also effectively reduce test anxiety, making the learning process more relaxed and pleasant

VI. Conclusion

Gamified instruction is not simply replacing math classes with games but restructuring the presentation of knowledge to make the learning process more vivid and interesting. By up tiered challenges, students' thinking abilities can be gradually stimulated, and they can achieve a higher level of thinking in the process of constantly overcoming difficulties. Incorporating real- scenarios into teaching content helps students better understand and apply the knowledge they have learned, promoting the transfer and practical application of knowledge. Meanwhile, a dynamic feedback mechanism can provide timely positive incentives guidance to students, thus strengthening their learning motivation and allowing them to gain a sense of achievement and satisfaction in the process of "learning through play and thinking through learning."

Looking to the future, we can further explore the deep integration of gamified instruction with interdisciplinary thematic learning, such as combining mathematics with science, art, and other subjects to more creative and challenging learning tasks. This not only enriches the content and form of elementary mathematics education but also provides students with more learning opportunities and experiences, continuously promoting the innovation development of elementary mathematics education.

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