Abstract:

This paper explores the pedagogical effects of using a mathematical game to enhance pupils’ mathematics understanding. The design for the study was a qualitative design, with five (5) participants. Four (4) of these participants were pupils of a public elementary school in the central region of Ghana, while the fifth participant, their class teacher, looked on to facilitate the process and to validate the sums pupils arrived at. Data were gathered from teacher’s questions and pupils’ responses. The teacher further probed pupils’ responses to clarify inconsistencies that arose from the initial data. The results indicated that most of the pupils were vigilant, confident and careful when playing the game. While some pupils played with speed and precision and adhered strictly to rules, others applied concepts they have learnt in school to enable them maneuver throughout the game. Generally, they all demonstrated ownership of their responsibilities and played the game with honesty. The paper concludes that pupils should be motivated to play games among themselves in schools and communities, to enable them use abstract symbols to investigate propositions. They should be encouraged to play games to build community and relationship among pupils and teachers. The paper further notes that playing games do not only provide children opportunities to develop mathematically, but they also encourage children to learn social skills such as listening to others and working as a team. However to achieve these benefits, teachers should monitor the frequency of use of such games as pedagogical tools to replace every conceivable teaching method.

Keywords:

Pedagogical effects, process, inconsistencies, maneuver, community.