Gamification elements as a strategy for teaching and learning mathematics in the 5th grade – Quaraçu, Bahia

Abstract

This article gols to analyze how elements of gamification can contribute to the teaching and learning of mathematical problem solving in a 5th-grade elementary school class. The research is characterized as a qualitative study with a descriptive and interventional nature, conducted in the municipality of Quaraçu, Bahia. As a didactic-pedagogical procedure, a gamified workshop was implemented with 15 students, in which they solved mathematical problems. For each correct answer, students received Tangram pieces, used as indicators of level progression. Data were generated through observation of students’ interactions during the activity and analysis of the problem-solving strategies mobilized by the groups. The results indicate that the use of gamification elements, such as characters, rules, and competition, promoted student engagement, participation, and cooperation, contributing to the learning of mathematical problem solving. However, limitations related to the time required for planning and implementing the proposal, as well as the financial costs involved, were also identified, depending on the content to be gamified. It is concluded that gamification constitutes a potentially meaningful pedagogical strategy for mathematics teaching in the early years of elementary education, provided that it is intentionally and contextually planned.