Applying Malone’s Motivational Theory and Flow to a Study of Whether Playing Educational Video Games Influences Motivation and Impacts Learning Outcomes in 5th Grade Mathematics

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to explore the possibility that using video games as an educational tool will impact student motivation and learning outcomes for mathematics in a 5th grade classroom. It uses relevant literature and qualitative research to investigate if educational video games provide challenge, fantasy, curiosity, and control as a means of influencing intrinsic motivation, using Malone’s Motivational Theory as a theoretical framework. Additionally, it explores similarities between intrinsic motivation and the characteristics suggested for a game to achieve Flow. Flow is a theory based on the balance of player skill and level of challenge, and can be used as a means for measuring how fun a game is. Specifically, this study examines the gaming features available at the learning website Study Island and how they are implemented in a 5th grade elementary school classroom. By conducting semi-structured interviews with teachers who use the website regularly and using existing standardized test scores to evaluate learning outcomes, I compare the emerging themes from these discussions with the suggested results provided by previous literature on the subject. Based on these comparisons, I attempt to answer the following research question: Does playing educational video games influence motivation and impact learning outcomes in 5 th grade mathematics?