THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN GAMES, LEARNING, AND STUDENT RESPONSES

Games are seen to be fun, not only motivating but ensuring full engagement, particularly through reflection and discussion, on which constructive learning depends (Booker, 1996). It has been suggested that games generate enthusiasm, excitement, total involvement and enjoyment (Bright, Harvey, & Wheeler, 1985). My interest in conducting research on games stems from a belief that children learn through games, that they are motivated to participate actively in the mathematics classroom when engaged in game playing, and that games contribute to construction of meaning through facilitating communication with others, and stimulating active interaction with mathematical situations. The research presented was conducted with grade 5 and 6 students (9 to 11 year olds) placed into four experimental groups. Three of the groups played games over different periods of time, with one group engaging in focused discussion of the strategies employed by the students. The fourth group participated in activities that addressed the same mathematical concept as those in the games, i.e., multiplication and division of decimals. The period of the study was 14 weeks and data were collected via: written tests