In this study, we examined the spontaneous use of an educational game at home after pupils were exposed to it during a six-week game-based learning intervention in school. We investigated what influenced this decision, focusing on two factors—maths anxiety and gender—that are known to potentially act as barriers to both maths engagement and video game engagement. The game interactions of 1,900 primary school students were monitored for three months after the classroom intervention. We found that half of the students played the 7 Spells game at home. As expected, game performance and game enjoyment significantly predicted the decision to continue playing from home. Notably, however, maths anxiety did not limit home play, and no gender effect was found—girls played as much as boys. Our findings underscore the potential of educational games to foster spontaneous practice, making maths practice more inclusive and sustainable beyond the classroom.

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Do Maths Anxiety and Gender Limit the Spontaneous Home Usage of an Educational Game? A Preliminary Study

  • Pierpaolo Dondio

摘要

In this study, we examined the spontaneous use of an educational game at home after pupils were exposed to it during a six-week game-based learning intervention in school. We investigated what influenced this decision, focusing on two factors—maths anxiety and gender—that are known to potentially act as barriers to both maths engagement and video game engagement. The game interactions of 1,900 primary school students were monitored for three months after the classroom intervention. We found that half of the students played the 7 Spells game at home. As expected, game performance and game enjoyment significantly predicted the decision to continue playing from home. Notably, however, maths anxiety did not limit home play, and no gender effect was found—girls played as much as boys. Our findings underscore the potential of educational games to foster spontaneous practice, making maths practice more inclusive and sustainable beyond the classroom.