The effect of using digital games in teaching 3rd grade mathematics lessons on students' academic achievement and motivation

In this study, the effect of using educational digital games in primary school 3rd grade mathematics course teaching on students' academic success and motivation was investigated. The sample group of the research consists of 3rd grade students selected by simple random sampling method of a public school in Salihli district of Manisa province in the 2023-2024 academic year. The experimental group consists of a total of 29 students, 13 of whom are girls and 16 of whom are boys, and the control group consists of a total of 28 students, 9 of whom are girls and 19 of whom are boys. The mathematics lesson was supported with educational digital games prepared by the researcher and the application lasted 6 weeks. A mixed research method was used in the study, where quantitative and qualitative research methods were used together. In the quantitative part of the research, the "Natural Number Multiplication Achievement Test" developed by the researcher was used to measure the academic achievements of the students. "Mathematics Lesson Motivation Scale for 3rd and 4th Grade Primary School Students" developed by Balantekin and Oksal (2014) was used to determine motivation for mathematics course. The achievement test and motivation scale were administered to the students as a pre-test before the application and as a post-test after the application. In the qualitative part of the study, a semi-structured interview form consisting of interview questions prepared in conjunction with the scale used in the quantitative part was used. Data were collected by conducting interviews with the students after the application. The obtained quantitative data were analyzed with dependent and independent groups t test in IBM SPSS Statistics 26 program. Findings were obtained by content analysis for qualitative data. According to the quantitative findings, it was seen that educational digital games had a positive effect on the average scores of the experimental group, but no statistically significant difference was found between the experimental and control groups. According to the students' motivation scale scores, no statistically significant difference was found between the experimental and control groups. As a result of the interviews with the students, it was seen that the use of educational digital games in the mathematics lesson motivated the students. It was concluded that the students found the course more entertaining, they liked the course, their sense of self-confidence improved, their understanding became easier and they gained speed. As a result, although the use of educational digital games in the mathematics lesson does not have a statistically significant result on students' success and motivation, when we take into account the average scores and interviews, it is seen that the use of educational digital games in the mathematics lesson has a positive effect.