Educational escape rooms in secondary mathematics education

Abstract

My teaching experience, which aligns with both local and international literature (Vella, 2011; Yasar, 2016; Wen & Dube, 2022), suggests that many secondary school students do not appreciate the beauty of mathematics. Instead, the subject is often perceived as boring, difficult or irrelevant (Rameli and Kosnin, 2016), leading to demotivation that hinders students’ behaviour, conceptual understanding and academic achievement (Barroso et al., 2021). As a result, the aim of this project-based research was to create an innovative pedagogical resource that could help counter these negative perceptions while enhancing student engagement, motivation and collaboration. The resource could also be used as formative assessment tool, enabling students to receive feedback on their learning and supporting teachers in reflecting on their teaching approaches. The educational resource developed for this project is an Educational Escape Room (EER) which is similar to recreational escape rooms (ERs) but within an educational context (Nicholson, 2018). In an EER, students work collaboratively to solve a sequence of puzzles within a set time limit. Therefore, EERs provide an active learning environment that integrates problem-solving and teamwork. For this project, an EER was specifically designed and developed for Year 9 mathematics Level 3 – 3*. The final product is presented in the form of a teacher’s resource booklet, which includes all the necessary information for introducing and running the game, details on required materials, suggested hints and debriefing process. The puzzles assess topics from the syllabus, which are percentages, Pythagoras’ theorem and trigonometry, bearings, and simultaneous equations. Students must work together to solve mathematical challenges that allow them to unlock a sequence of nested boxes secured with digit or letter locks and ultimately, complete the final task within the allocated time. In so doing, students actively engage in learning mathematics within a fun, collaborative and safe learning space.