Active Gamification Methodology for Learning Mathematical Operations in the 2nd Grade of Basic General Education

Abstract

The low performance in mathematics among second-grade students in Ecuadorian Basic General Education is currently a concern for the educational system. A considerable percentage of students fail to develop the basic mathematical skills necessary for their cognitive stage. Professionals and academic experts have conducted studies offering recommendations for innovative teaching methods, prioritizing the incorporation of active learning methods as a favorable pedagogical approach to knowledge generation. Gamification is one of the most widely accepted strategies in the educational field. This paper presents a cross-sectional, quasi-experimental study with pre- and post-tests, without a control group, conducted with a purposive sample of 55 second-grade students from the Francisco de Orellanas Educational Unit in Santo Domingo. The objective was to enhance the learning of basic addition and subtraction operations. To achieve this, a gamification strategy was designed and implemented in the classroom over eight weeks. Students showed greater difficulty in the numerical representation of word problems (68% mastery), moderately difficult subtraction (58% mastery), and moderately difficult number sequences (71% mastery). Teachers reported a lack of time to plan these activities, as well as insufficient specific training in gamification. It was concluded that the gamification strategy applied in the educational intervention enhanced the learning of basic addition and subtraction operations in second-grade students.