Playing maths games for positive learner identities

Maths games are fun and engaging, but what messages do these games send to the students in our classrooms? During mathematics lessons children learn more than just mathematics content; they also come to understand what it means to be a learner of mathematics. In this article I discuss the concept of “mathematics learner identity” and use it as a lens to consider two popular maths games played in primary classrooms in Aotearoa New Zealand. I suggest that some games may be detrimental to the performance of a positive learner identity, while others may be transformative.