PROMOTING CRITICAL THINKING AND STUDENT ENGAGEMENT THROUGH PLAY-BASED MATHEMATICS INSTRUCTION: A CASE STUDY IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

Abstract

This study investigates the implementation of mathematical games as a pedagogical strategy to promote student engagement and meaningful learning in the context of elementary education. It is based on the observation that traditional mathematics teaching, often disconnected from students’ realities, contributes to disengagement and learning difficulties. The research was developed using a qualitative, exploratory approach with a case-study design in a rural public school in the municipality of Arapiraca, Alagoas (Brazil), involving a class of 30 seventh-grade students. The pedagogical intervention, grounded in Piaget’s constructivist theory and Ausubel’s theory of meaningful learning, lasted four weeks and used educational games to teach first-degree (linear) equations. Data were collected through classroom observations, semi-structured interviews, and questionnaires administered before and after the intervention, and were analyzed using Content Analysis (BARDIN, 2016). The results revealed significant improvements in students’ performance and attitudes toward mathematics, indicating that integrating playful activities with constructivist approaches can make teaching more enjoyable and relevant, while fostering critical thinking and problem-solving.