Effect of game-based learning on students’ mathematics high order thinking skills: A meta-analysis

Abstract

Educational research trends demonstrate a growing interest in understanding the impact of games on mathematics achievement. However, only a limited number of studies have synthesized previous quantitative studies to investigate how game-based learning (GBL) influences the enhancement of students' high-order thinking skills (HOTS) in mathematics. To address this gap, this meta-analysis study aims to investigate the effectiveness of GBL on students' mathematics HOTS. The study analyzed 40 effect sizes from 13 empirical studies published from 2010 to 2024, gathered from electronic databases such as Scopus, Eric, and Pro-Quest. R software was employed for analyzing effect sizes, detecting publication bias, and conducting subgroup analyses. Using the k-means algorithm, two studies identified as outliers were excluded. After removing these outliers, the findings revealed a positive effect of GBL on students' mathematics HOTS, with an overall effect falling within the small category (g = .134, p < .001). Additionally, moderator variables, including educational level, measured thinking skills, continent, control treatment, and intervention duration, significantly influenced the improvement of HOTS using GBL, while the sample size factor showed no significant impact. All findings, limitations, and implications are discussed in this article.