The Role of Game-Based Digital Educational Media in Students’ Attitudes Toward Mathematics and Learning of Mathematical Concepts Among Students with Learning Disabilities
Abstract
Mathematics learning disabilities are a major challenge in the education system and can directly affect students’ academic achievement and attitudes. With the emergence of new technologies, game-based instruction has been proposed as an engaging and potentially effective approach to improving learning for these students. This study aimed to investigate the effect of game-based digital educational media on attitudes toward mathematics and the learning of mathematical concepts among male students with mathematics learning disabilities in the upper grades of primary school in Birjand, Iran. The study employed a quasi-experimental pretest–posttest design with a control group. The statistical population consisted of all male students in the upper grades of primary school in Birjand who were enrolled during the 2024–2025 academic year. The study sample included 40 students with mathematics learning disabilities, who were randomly assigned to an experimental group and a control group, with 20 students in each group. The experimental group learned mathematical concepts using the educational game application Moose Math, whereas the control group received conventional classroom instruction. Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was used to test the first and second research hypotheses. The multivariate analysis of covariance results indicated that game-based instruction significantly improved students’ attitudes toward mathematics and their learning of mathematical concepts. These findings suggest that the purposeful use of educational digital games may serve as an effective instructional approach for teaching mathematics to students with learning disabilities.
Keywords: mathematics learning disabilities, digital educational media, game-based learning, attitudes toward mathematics, mathematical concepts