Reflection of game-based mathematics teaching on creative problem solving skills of 7th grade students

The aim of this research is to determine the reflection of game-based mathematics teaching on students' creative problem-solving skills in the "percentages" sub-learning area of the numbers and operations learning area of the 7th grade mathematics course. For this purpose, it focused on how the prepared educational games support students' learning about percentages, the reflection of students' creative problem-solving skills, and their opinions about the game-based teaching process. A case study from qualitative research designs was used in the research. The research was conducted with 17 female students determined by the purposive sampling method who are studying in the 7th grade at a state secondary school in the central district of a large province in the Black Sea region during the 2021-2022 academic year. In the research, educational games prepared for the percentages sub-learning area were used to determine students' readiness, to reach the gain with the help of worksheets included in games and to reinforce learned information. In game-based mathematics teaching, it was important for students to be able to apply what they learned to real-life situations by including skill-based questions. After each gain, creative problems were given and students' creative problem-solving skills were tried to be revealed. After the teaching was completed, semi-structured interviews were conducted with all students. In the research, data were collected using educational games teaching process, creative problem papers and semi-structured interview form. In addition, field notes were kept, sound recordings of creative problem solutions and interviews were taken and necessary examinations were made. In the analysis of the obtained data, content analysis from qualitative research methods was used for teaching process and interview questions, and data related to creative problems were analyzed according to creative problem-solving steps developed by Osborn-Parnes (1966). As a result of the research, it was observed that learning about the percentage sub-learning area took place in 7th grade students with educational games prepared, students' interest in mathematics increased and they supported each other's learning in group games. Students have gained experience in producing information, analyzing, critical approach, reasoning, inference in game-based teaching, and this situation has positively reflected on the creative problem-solving process. It can be said that students find it fun to combine mathematics with games they play in daily life through game-based mathematics teaching process and it has changed their perspective on mathematics lesson positively Keywords: Game-based mathematics education, Creative thinking skills, Creative problem solving, Percent