Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Availability

Open Access Dissertation

Abstract

Middle school mathematics teaching is a complex practice that incorporates both cognitive and emotional factors (Sen, 2022). Students must have permission to get stuck and unstuck in their thinking while critically considering their approaches (Kapp, 2016), along with opportunities to engage in decision-making, deep reasoning, and discussions about mathematics (Stein et al., 1996). Gamification and game-based learning can place students in an environment where discussion, collaboration and perseverance are highly valued in overcoming challenges and achieving common goals (Kapp, 2016).

This qualitative self-study reflects on the journey of John Pauly, a middle school mathematics teacher, told through his experiences and understandings of how gamification and productive discussions can influence students' learning in his classroom. He collected data from five months of journal reflections during the development and implementation of content and structural gamification units for his eighth-grade math classes. He summarized and analyzed his journals for his Clearness Committee to use with five podcasts. This study aimed to deepen the understanding of the connections among gamification, productive discussion, and students' understanding of mathematics.

Year of Submission

2025

Degree Name

Doctor of Education

Department

Department of Curriculum and Instruction

First Advisor

Catherine Miller

Date Original

2025

Object Description

1 PDF file (xi, 150 pages)

Language

en

File Format

application/pdf

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