As educators, we are always looking for ways to engage our students and make learning mathematics both fun and effective. Games in the math classroom have long been a staple in elementary and middle school classrooms. The body of research continues to grow, suggesting that collaborative learning experiences can be even more powerful than traditional and competitive games.
Why Collaborative Math Games Matter
Recent studies have shown that collaborative learning in mathematics can lead to significant improvements in student engagement, knowledge retention, and problem-solving skills. For instance, a 2024 study published in the European Journal of Mathematics Science and Technology Education found that sixth-grade students who engaged in collaborative learning showed marked improvements in mathematics achievement, regardless of their initial skill levels. Even more encouraging, these students also developed more positive attitudes toward mathematics (Aslam, Awan, & Khan, 2024). Siller and Ahmad found that collaborative learning had a positive impact on grade six students’ mathematics achievement and attitudes. Furthermore, collaborative learning has the potential to improve students’ overall disposition toward learning mathematics (2024).
The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) has previously recognized the value of games in mathematics education. In an NCTM blog post, Rutherford highlighted that games provide students with opportunities to explore fundamental number concepts, develop computational fluency, and encourage strategic mathematical thinking (2015). Games offer a way for students to:
● Explore number combinations
● Deepen mathematical understanding and reasoning
● Find different strategies for solving problems
● Examine more efficient computational methods
● Discuss relationships and connections
By providing repeated opportunities for students to play games, teachers can allow mathematical ideas to emerge organically as students notice, share and discuss new patterns, relationships, and strategies.
Small Moves for Big Impact
How can existing competitive math games be restructured into collaborative experiences for your students? Reframe the objectives by shifting the focus from an individual score or winning to team achievements instead. Rather than one student emerging as victorious, challenge the entire class to reach a collective goal. Invite students to work in pairs, triads or quads. Create team-based challenges that require collaboration. For example, have teams work together to create a different and more challenging version of the games they already know and understand. Implement Think-Ink-Pair-Share. Students often prefer to have time to think independently before sharing ideas with a partner. Adding the “Ink” step further supports student thinking. The act of writing is also a well-known teacher move that increases comprehension and memory. Incorporate moments for individual reflection, partner discussion, and group sharing before, during and after games. This approach ensures all students have multiple chances to contribute, learn from each other and to be heard.
Best Practices for Inclusion and Differentiation
As these shifts are made, it is crucial to keep inclusion and differentiation in mind. Take steps to ensure meaningful contributions from all students. Flexible grouping can be another teacher move that impacts student participation. Achieving participation by all takes planning, practice and time. Through modeling and practice, students can and will learn how to share their observations and questions, for example. Design or choose games that provide multiple opportunities for every student to be part of the action. Support students as they learn to self-advocate and ask questions. Notice and celebrate such actions in your students! Use games that naturally allow for tiered challenges. The games that students play in math class should have different levels of difficulty and include choice. Maintain rigor by incorporating higher-order thinking questions and individual accountability during and after game-play. This ensures challenging work isn’t sacrificed for collaboration.
Conclusion
By making these small moves, you can transform your math classrooms into collaborative learning environments that benefit all students. The research is clear, collaborative learning in mathematics leads to better outcomes and more positive attitudes toward the subject. Combining the inherent benefits of math games with collaborative learning strategies, creates powerful learning environments that foster both academic achievement and social skill development.
Try it! Take one competitive math game you are already using and adapt it for collaboration this week. Watch closely and see what happens. Invite students to suggest changes to the games in ways that align with their needs and also the context of their classroom.
Aslam, S., Awan, A. S., & Khan, T. H. (2024). Analyzing the impact of collaborative learning approach on grade six students’ mathematics achievement and attitudes. EURASIA Journal of Mathematics, Science and Technology Education, 20(2), em2395. https://doi.org/10.29333/ejmste/14153
Rutherford, K. (2015, April 27). Why Play Math Games? National Council of Teachers of Mathematics. https://www.nctm.org/Publications/TCM-blog/Blog/Why-Play-Math-Games_/
Siller, H. S., & Ahmad, S. (2024). Analyzing the impact of collaborative learning approach on grade six students’ mathematics achievement and attitude towards mathematics. EURASIA Journal of Mathematics, Science and Technology Education, 20(2), em2395.