Invesigation of the impact of using concrete materials and educational games on teaching seventh grade angles and polygons subject with respect to a variety of variables

The purpose of this research is to examine the effects of using concrete materials and educational games on 7th grade students' achievement, motivation, anxiety levels, attitudes, and self-efficacy in the subject of angles and polygons. The sample of the research consists of a total of 41 students from two different classes at a public middle school in Ağrı province. A quasi-experimental design based on a quantitative approach was used in the study. Achievement tests and Motivation-Anxiety-Attitude-Self-efficacy scales were applied as pre-tests to both the experimental and control groups. The control group followed the curriculum as prescribed, while the experimental group received instruction supported by materials and educational games. The implementation lasted for 6 weeks. At the end of the teaching process, post-tests were applied to both groups. Additionally, the opinions of the experimental group students about the implementation were collected using a written opinion form. The analysis results revealed a statistically significant difference in favor of the experimental group in the achievement and self-efficacy tests, while no statistically significant difference was found in the other scales. The findings obtained from the analysis of the written opinion forms support the quantitative test results. The findings indicate that the use of instructional materials and educational games made the learning process engaging and enjoyable, played a role in fostering a love for mathematics among students, and helped them understand mathematical topics better and more easily. The findings were discussed in terms of the contribution of concrete materials and educational games used in mathematics classes to the students' learning processes and the importance of designing, preparing, and using such materials.