The Roles of Local Games in Stimulating and Sustaining Secondary School Students’ Interest in Mathematics: A Systematic Review

Abstract

Mathematics remains one of the most challenging and anxiety-provoking subjects for secondary school students worldwide, often resulting in low engagement, negative attitudes, and poor academic performance (Ashcraft & Moore, 2009). Interest has been identified as a central motivational construct influencing persistence, conceptual understanding, and academic success (Hidi & Renninger, 2006). Game-based learning has emerged as a promising instructional strategy capable of transforming passive classrooms into interactive learning environments (Plass, Homer, & Kinzer, 2015). While digital games dominate much of the literature, local and culturally relevant games represent accessible, low-cost alternatives with significant educational potential. This systematic review examines the roles of local games in stimulating and sustaining students’ interest in mathematics at the secondary school level. A structured literature search was conducted across Google Scholar, ERIC, Scopus, and African Journals Online covering studies published between 2005 and 2024. Twenty-six studies met the inclusion criteria and were thematically synthesized. Findings indicate that local games enhance learner motivation, reduce mathematics anxiety, improve conceptual understanding, and foster collaborative learning. However, challenges such as teacher preparedness, curriculum rigidity, and assessment misalignment persist. The review concludes that culturally responsive game-based learning offers a sustainable pathway for improving mathematics engagement, particularly in resource-constrained contexts.