EJMT Abstract

The scope of research that directly investigates the behaviours and attitudes of high-achieving maths students at a primary school level is quite limited. In the past, academic works dealing with elementary students of higher ability have been synonymous with mixed ability studies, learning outcomes, and direct enquiries on the gifted. This outstanding issue combined with the current trend toward online, game-based learning not only proposes a need for investigation but also, an interesting study. This article studies a period of exploration for thirty high-achieving maths students using educational software at an Irish primary school. Data was gathered and analysed and the views and opinions of these high-achieving students are presented in this paper. The primary data collection method used in the investigation was teacher-prompted open-ended questions. The aims of the study were to allow the high-achieving students to explore a new, educational video game-based software and determine whether this exploration was a motivating experience for the students.

Conclusions reached from this study are presented in a positive light and relate mainly to the current findings of the research itself. Though this study reveals positive experiences and discoveries, it also raises more unanticipated questions. Furthermore, the results of this small-scale research study may be even transferable to other primary educators as it clearly communicates the relationship between interactive game-based software and motivation in high-achieving students.