Gamification to work on the numbers in a mathematics course: Study of emotions and performance in higher education

Abstract

The traditional approach to teach and learning mathematics has often been theoretical and teacher-centered. This tendency may be associated with students’ low interest in the subject. Consequently, it is important to stimulate students’ interest and motivation through active methodologies such as gamification. In recent years, escape rooms have been introduced in higher education for this purpose. In mathematics learning, the emotional dimension of students is as important as academic performance, given the strong connection between both aspects. Hence, this research aims to analyze both emotional dimension and academic performance of pre-service teachers before and after applying an escape room to work on mathematics content during two academic years. The results indicate positive effects on the emotional dimension, since all positive emotions increased significantly both academic years after completing the mathematics escape room. Negative emotions generally remained unchanged, except for uncertainty and fear, which decreased during the first academic year analyzed. Additionally, correlations emerged between emotions and academic performance, highlighting the connection between these factors. Academic performance improved significantly after the intervention in both academic years, showing that the escape room was an effective tool for enhancing the learning of mathematical content. Considering these findings across two consecutive academic years, the mathematics escape room can be regarded as valuable strategy to foster both emotional development and academic performance among pre-service teachers. These aspects are particularly relevant, given that pre-service teachers often show disinterest in, or even avoidance of, mathematics.