Effects of Edu-Board Game-Assisted STAD on Elementary School Students' Mathematics Problem Solving: A Quasi-Experimental Study

Abstract

Mathematical problem-solving is an essential competency in elementary education, yet students often experience difficulties when solving problems involving Least Common Multiple (LCM) and Greatest Common Factor (GCF). This study compared changes in mathematical problem-solving performance between Grade IV students receiving Edu-Board Game-Assisted Student Teams Achievement Divisions (STAD) and those receiving Problem-Based Learning (PBL) supported by ice-cream-stick manipulatives. A quasi-experimental nonequivalent pretest-posttest design involved 60 students from two intact classes, with 30 students in each instructional condition. Mathematical problem-solving was assessed using five constructed-response problems based on four problem-solving stages. Both groups showed substantial improvement from pretest to posttest. The experimental group increased from a mean of 41.33 to 73.67, while the comparison group increased from 26.27 to 60.53. The groups differed significantly at baseline, t(43.76) = -4.77, p < .001. After accounting for pretest performance, the adjusted posttest difference favored the experimental condition but was not statistically significant, B = 4.04, 95% CI [-0.53, 8.60], F(1, 57) = 3.14, p = .082, partial eta squared = .052. Supplementary analysis showed higher N-Gain in the experimental group (57.12%) than in the comparison group (46.34%), t(58) = 3.30, p = .002, Cohen’s d = 0.851. These findings indicate that Edu-Board Game-Assisted STAD represents a viable active approach for elementary mathematical problem solving, although its adjusted advantage over active PBL was not statistically established.