Learning Word Problem Solving Process in Primary School Students: An Attempt to Combine Serious Game and Polya’s Problem Solving Model

Abstract

Mathematics learning has become one of the most researched fields in education. Particularly, word or story problem solving skills have been gaining an enormous amount of attention from researchers and practitioners. Within this context, several studies have been done in order to analyze the impact that serious games have on learning processes and, in particular, on the development of word problem solving skills. However, little is known regarding how games may influence student acquisition of the process skills of problem solving. In a first attempt, this theoretical paper deals with word problem solving skill enhancement in second-grade school children by means of a practical educational serious game that addresses general and specific abilities involved in problem solving, focusing on how different parts of a solution effort relate to each other. The serious game is based on Polya’s problem solving model. The emphasis of using the specific model was on dividing the problem solving procedure into stages and the concentration on the essential details of a problem solving process and the relationships between the various parts of the solution.