Current state of gamification design in secondary mathematics education: a systematic literature review

Gamification, i.e. using game design elements in non-game environments, is a trending educational approach mainly implemented in classrooms to foster students’ motivation. Although many scholars study motivational effects of gamification, the specific design of the gamification implementation, which fundamentally affects the motivational effects on the learners, is often overlooked. This systematic literature review aims to report current trends of implementing gamification in secondary mathematics education, focusing on the design and the educational conditions (i.e. target age group, mathematical topic, and learning scenario). We report that the design of gamification implementations in secondary mathematics education is still relying on performance-based game elements. However, many scholars advise against the use of these elements, as they do not facilitate meaningful and engaging learning experiences. Additionally, we report that some mathematical topics like measurement, probability, and statistics remain largely unexplored in the field of educational gamification research. Lastly, most implementations focus on creating materials for the individual practice of students in school, neglecting many educational possibilities that digital gamification could provide, like flipped or out-of-class learning. The results of this study imply that there is potential for more creative and open-minded gamification in mathematics education in terms of research and practice.