Razonamiento y gamificación en el aprendizaje del álgebra: evidencia cuasi-experimental en estudiantes de secundaria de Tekax, Yucatán

Luis Ceferino Góngora Vega

Authors

Luis Ceferino Góngora Vega SEGEY https://orcid.org/0009-0001-6665-730X

Keywords:

Algebraic thinking, Educational gamification, Mathematical reasoning, Secondary education, Active learning

Abstract

This study examines the impact of a didactic intervention aimed at fostering algebraic thinking through the incorporation of gamified dynamics, mathematical riddles, and logical reasoning activities among secondary school students. The research addresses the persistence of instructional practices focused on the mechanization of algebraic procedures, a situation that limits conceptual understanding and the development of mathematical reasoning. The general objective of this study was to analyze the effect of a didactic intervention based on gamification, riddles, and logical reasoning on the development of algebraic thinking among third-grade students attending a public secondary school in Tekax, Yucatán, Mexico.

A quantitative approach was employed using a quasi-experimental pretest–posttest design without a control group. The sample consisted of 91 third-grade students from Juan Pacheco Torres Secondary School in Tekax, Yucatán, Mexico. Student performance was assessed through a 20-item test with acceptable reliability (KR-20 = 0.72). The results revealed a significant improvement in academic performance, with the pass rate increasing from 14.4% to 46.3%. Inferential analysis confirmed statistically significant differences between both measurements (t(90) = 5.87, p < .001), with a moderate effect size (d = 0.62).

As a methodological limitation, the pretest–posttest design without a control group restricts the exclusive causal attribution of the observed changes to the implemented intervention. It is concluded that the integration of gamified dynamics, mathematical riddles, and logical reasoning activities contributes to strengthening algebraic thinking when systematically incorporated into educational practice. Nevertheless, further research using more robust experimental designs is needed to confirm the stability and scope of the observed effects.

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