In this paper, we present the first meta-analysis of the efficacy of game-based interventions on reducing students' levels of maths anxiety. After searching for randomised studies describing game-based interventions to reduce maths anxiety, 22 effect sizes with 913 participants described in 15 peer-review articles met the selection criteria. A random effects meta-analysis indicated a reduction of maths anxiety with a small effect size (mean effect size ES = −0.24, CI = [ − 0.47, −0.01]), marginally significant at 0.05 level but not robust to a leave-one-out sensitivity analysis. Several factors moderated the results: non-digital games were more effective, while digital games had a negligible mean effect size of ES = −0.10, CI = [ − 0.24, 0.03]. The effect size was also moderated by the total duration of the intervention, to the advantage of longer interventions, and by the type of gameplay: games had a greater effect on maths anxiety reduction when they promoted collaborative and social interactions. Such features were mainly present in non-digital games, while all bar one of the digital interventions used single-player games. The results obtained, which were particularly weak for digital games, indicated the need to develop and test games explicitly designed for maths-anxious students to increase the impact of game-based interventions. This will require investigation into the relationship between game features and maths anxiety through analysis of the behaviour of anxious and non-anxious students at play. Among the features that an anxiety-aware game could employ, we suggest collaborative gameplay, social interactions, adaptability, features promoting intrinsic motivation and embedding real-time measurements of maths anxiety in the game.

The present paper describes the design and evaluation of a videogame developed to support math education and overcome math anxiety (MA) at the primary school level. The game narrative is based on the history of math. The player travels back on time and meets on-player characters such as Pythagoras of Samos and Ada Lovelace, learning about how math was used during their times. The player is invited to play a minigame where the concepts shared by the characters are used as a strategy to win. The game's evaluation consisted of a pre and post-testing study that measured students' math performance and MA levels. The experiment also included a group interview to collect students' perceptions about the game. The experiment lasted five weeks, and 88 students from three primary schools played the game on weekly sessions 45-60 minutes long. Statistical analysis suggested the game significantly improves students' math performance. However, the results indicated that female students from one of the classrooms had higher MA levels after playing the game. In addition, qualitative data shows students had a high level of engagement with the gameplay.

The paper proposes a systematic review of game-based approaches to reduce Maths Anxiety (MA). Thirteen experimental studies carried out in children and young adults were included in the review. In all the studies analysed, the games used were designed for general learning, usually quiz-based or puzzle-based games. Although 8 out of 13 studies report a reduction of MA after the intervention, only in 6/13 studies this was significant versus a traditional learning control group. This could be explained partially by the absence of games explicitly designed to deal with MA. Just two studies explicitly considered anxiety-aware features in their intervention strategy, including working on the competition element and a real-time indicator of MA embedded in the game. Our review shows the need for targeted studies to understand the impact of specific game features on MA in order to support the design of anxiety-aware games. Potential features include the introduction of gender-aware game design to account for the prevalence of MA among girls and the investigation of more collaborative and interactive game-modes.

The present paper describes the design and evaluation of an adventure videogame developed to cover the mathematics primary school curriculum. The narrative of the game is based in the history of mathematics and, to win, the player needs to travel through time, starting from the ancient Egypt and finishing at the modern world. To achieve that, the player interacts with real-life characters, such as Pythagoras of Samos, learning about their contributions to the field and using this knowledge to solve puzzles. The aim of the research presented in this paper is to understand the effects of the game on students' mathematics performance and levels of mathematics anxiety, a clinical condition where feelings of tension emerge during the manipulation of numbers. The game was tested by children from the first and second classes of Irish primary schools (n = 88). Students played the game for 3 weeks on weekly sessions of 45 min to 1 h. The experiment had a pre post-test design and students answered the Modified Abbreviated Math Anxiety Scale (mAMAS), and a mathematics test designed based on the content of the game. Statistical analysis suggested the game significantly improves students' mathematics performance. However, it increases the levels of mathematics anxiety on female students, opening discussion for considering what aspects of game design influences the levels of mathematics anxiety for this specific group.

Previous research suggests games can improve learning outcomes and students' motivation. However, there still exists insufficient clarity on the design principles and pedagogical approach that should underpin mathematics educational games. This thesis is aimed at evaluating the effects of an educational game on the learning performance and levels of anxiety promoted by mathematics activities of primary school students. The game was designed based on the principles of situated learning, following a combination of an in-depth literature review, a collection of teachers' perceptions about educational games, and features of classroom games. Empirical evaluation of the game was performed through a 5-weeks experiment carried out in three Irish schools, with the participation of 88 students. The investigation had a pre-post-test design and aimed to evaluate the effects of the game on students' mathematics performance and anxiety. In the first week, students answered the Learning Outcomes on Mathematics for Children (LOMC), a questionnaire that measured students' knowledge of mathematics. The same students also answered the Modified Abbreviated Math Anxiety Scale (mAMAS), a validated self-report questionnaire to assess math anxiety of primary school children. During the following three weeks, students had weekly gameplay sessions of 45-60 minutes.

The use of video games to support learning in the classroom became popular over the last two decades. Even though games have proved to be successful not only to improve the learning outcomes but also skills such as critical thinking and problem solving, it is still a challenge to adapt them to the classroom routine. Issues such as the lack of video games that cover the school curriculum, limited time to cover curriculum content and lack of technological resources are some of the barriers that influence teachers' decisions not to adopt video games. In order to look for solutions that may facilitate the implementation of classroom video games, we collected information of what teachers think about these games. Data was collected through a survey answered by 714 primary and secondary school teachers, which gathered participants' demographic information and their perceptions about learning through video games. Using Logistic Regression and Decision Tree models, we identified factors that influence or inhibit the adoption of video games by teachers. The results suggest that the adoption of video games is influenced by students' primary language (English or non-English speaking), motivational features of the video games, how the game relates to the curriculum and the pedagogical underpinning of the game. A significant group of teachers thinks games that are targeted for use in the classroom are pedagogically poorly designed and do not fit for purpose. Other barriers teachers face to using games in class are lack of time and lack of technological resources. These results are important as they indicate which features should be present in an educational game and how these games are used in classroom nowadays. Furthermore, identifying teachers' opinions and the challenges they face in the classroom video games implementation allow developers and researchers to look for solutions that may facilitate this process.

Widespread studies show learning through games stimulates students' engagement, motivation and enthusiasm. Moreover, games could improve abilities like information assimilation and retention, motor coordination, and capacity of thinking quickly and concentrating (Koh et al., 2012). While previous surveys have showed how digital games are commonly used as educational tools, the present study aims to analyze the features of the digital games that are being used. To this aim, we first developed a survey to collect a list of digital games used in Irish classrooms. Then, those games were classified by means of a framework developed by the authors, considering technical features, the target audience and the pedagogy behind the digital game.