Research Paper

MAY 2016

As a graduate student at Pace University, we were required to choose a topic of interest, and conduct a research experiment, that we would then write up over the semester.  I have always loved teaching math, so I decided since the classroom I was working in at the time, wasn’t conducive to me doing a technology based research project, I would see what I could do around math.  This paper explores how integrating mathematics games into the daily curriculum of third-graders effects students’ disposition towards mathematics.  Research suggests that with so many jobs and opportunities these days requiring mathematics, math is important in our schools today.  The more our students are engaged in math class, the more they are comprehending the material and the more positive affect they are feeling toward the material they are learning.  Ahrens and Zascerinska (2012) suggest including games into mathematics is a great way to help students feel engaged, and feel more positively towards mathematics.  Similarly, Turner, Thorpe and Meyer (1998) found students are often so afraid of making mistakes on tests, homework and during class, that their behavior and their beliefs and affect in mathematics are affected by this fear.  Motivation and affect are a huge motivator for a student when it comes to mathematics.