Enhancing Situational Mastery Experience and Willingness to Learn with Game Elements in Children with Specific Learning Disorders

Children with dyscalculia show less self-efficacy and more anxiety while engaging in mathematical tasks. In addition to difficulties in basic mathematical skills, such non-cognitive factors negatively impact their mathematics achievement. In contrast, game elements have been found to increase performance, motivation, and task engagement. Accordingly, this study evaluated the effects of game elements in mathematical tasks for children with dyscalculia, dyslexia, or both. Sixty children performed a digital game version, a digital nongame version, and a paper-pencil version of a number line estimation task. As expected, children with dyscalculia reported higher math anxiety compared to those with dyslexia. Furthermore, results indicated that game elements did not affect performance, suggesting no cognitive overload. Importantly, however, children favored the game version most and believed they performed best in it. This preference and higher subjective performance suggest that game elements mitigate negative feelings toward mathematics, possibly supporting the development of self-efficacy and enhancing motivation.