The impact of adaptive game-based instruction on mathematical performance of students with mathematics learning disorder in a mobile learning environment

The role of mathematics in the present digital world is very important. Due to its nature, mathematics is mostly disliked by students, especially those with learning disorders. Using e-learning in mobile environments and new teaching methods, the complementary sessions needed for students with learning disorders can be enriched. This group of students is most of the time forgotten. This study investigated the impact of adaptive game-based instruction on the mathematical performance of students with mathematics learning disorders.

The present study was conducted to investigate the impact of adaptive game-based instruction on the mathematical performance of students with learning difficulty in a mobile learning environment.

The current research design was the quasi-experimental type of pre-test-post-test and control group. The statistical population of the research included the students with a mathematics learning disorder in Malard, Tehran, in the second grade of primary school, in the academic year of 2022-2023 from which 10 samples were available that randomly were divided into two groups: experimental (5 people) and control (5 people). The experimental group attended 8 educational sessions in the Shad mobile environment in June 2023 using Shad facilities including messenger and games which are proposed by the experts of the Ministry of Education. For the pre-test and post-test, the questions from the Kangaroo Mathematics Competition 2021 were used and the data were analyzed using SPSS26 and univariate analysis of variance.

The research findings show that there is a meaningful difference between pre-test and post-test (F= 25.878, p= 0.001). There is also a meaningful difference between the control group and the experimental group in the post-test (F= 6.392, p= 0.039). According to the obtained results, it was concluded that adaptive game-based instruction has a positive impact on the mathematical performance of students with learning disorders in a mobile learning environment.

The results showed that using game-based adaptive learning in a mobile learning environment for students with mathematics learning disorder can help these students improve their mathematical performance at their preferred pace and content with educational support. As Shad environment facilities are available for all students in Iran, schools and learning disorder centers can use game-based adaptive instruction in Shad environment to help the students improve their performance through ongoing learning.