Playing maths games for positive learner identities

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Abstract

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.

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Citation
Darragh, L. (2021). Playing maths games for positive learner identities. Set: Research Information for Teachers, 1, 36–42. https://doi.org/10.18296/set.0166
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