Abstract:

Often, some difficulties that students encounter in the study of math are linked to a negative approach to the discipline. Particularly, affective factors, such as emotions and attitudes, play a crucial role (McLeod, 1992, cited in Capozio, Passaro, Di Martino, 2018). Gamification is a digital teaching strategy, highly effective in influencing the motivation and engagement of students (Kapp, 2012). Several studies show that it is notably successful in positively impacting the motivation and engagement of students, influencing both the teaching of scientific subjects and the promotion of peer collaboration (Aikaterini Xezonaki, 2022). Furthermore, in the literature, there is also evidence of the role of teacher-student relationship (TSR) quality in student outcomes (Birch & Ladd, 1997; Hamre & Pianta, 2001; Roorda, Koomen, Spilt, and Oort, 2011), even in the field of mathematics (Rimm-Kaufman, Baroody, Larsen, Curby, and Abry, 2015). In particular, the teacher-student relationship (TSR) is capable of influencing student engagement (Roorda et al., 2017), motivation for success (Wang & Eccles, 2013), academic interest (Sakiz et al., 2012), feelings of satisfaction (Wubbels et al., 2006), and academic self-regulation (Raufelder et al., 2016). Several studies also demonstrate that there is a reciprocal relationship between the TSR and student performance (Hughes, Luo, Kwok, and Loyd; 2008): a positive TSR predicts improved outcomes, and performance levels predict the TSR. It seems that different factors can influence the Teacher-Student Relationship (TSR), such as specific personal and professional characteristics (Roorda et al., 2019) and contextual factors (Hagenauer & Volet, 2014; Lindblom-Ylänne et al., 2006). Ghasemi (2021) identified three main areas impacting TSR: Effective Classroom Techniques, Effective Contextual Factors, and Participants’ Attributes and Behaviors. In our work, we wanted to investigate whether the use of certain digital teaching strategies, such as gamification, impacts the teacher-student relationship. In particular, the Teacher-Student Relationship Questionnaire (TSRQ) was administered to fifth-grade students before and after the use of gamification strategies for teaching theoretical constructs in the field of mathematics.

Keywords:

Teacher/Student Relationship, Math, Gamification, Teaching Strategy.