Mnemonics and Gaming: Scaffolding Learning of Integers

Published literature and classroom experience agree that students have difficulty understanding the basic concepts and principles of integers. This learning difficulty is attributed to students’ memory deficits and negative attitudes towards mathematics and teachers’ poor instructional methods. An integer operation card game combining gameplay and mnemonics was developed to address this issue. The card game was tested for teaching effectiveness in an experiment involving two groups of Grade 7 students. Results revealed that the experimental group outperformed the control group in operating integers, and the difference between performances was statistically significant. It was concluded that the developed card game and mnemonics effectively facilitated students’ learning of integer operations.