Enseñanza y aprendizaje de polígonos mediante la gamificación para séptimo año de Educación General Básica

Abstract

The traditional Mathematics teaching in the seventh grade has led to challenges for students at Unidad Educativa Técnico Salesiano in calculating the perimeter and area of polygons, as revealed by the diagnostic assessment for the 2023-2024 academic year. Consequently, this research addresses the question: How does the teaching and learning of polygons through gamification influence the motivation and academic performance of seventh-grade students? A pre-experimental study was conducted, using a pre-test/post-test design with a single group. Two gamification strategies were applied—an Escape Room and a Treasure Hunt—to evaluate their impact on the teaching and learning of polygons. These strategies were integrated into micro-curricular planning and instructional guides. The study variables were the gamification proposal, academic performance, and motivation. Information was collected using a knowledge test and a perception survey. Descriptive statistical analysis and the Student's t-test revealed a significant difference in the students' scores before and after the intervention. Additionally, Spearman's correlation analysis showed a very strong and statistically significant positive correlation between academic performance and motivation. These results demonstrate that implementing gamification in classrooms significantly improves academic performance and motivation in Mathematics, overcoming the limitations of traditional classes and increasing students' interest in understanding abstract mathematical concepts.