Co-Designing Soccer Number Ball Games With Teachers: Lessons Learned and Latine Students’ Motivational Experiences

• In Event: Playful Learning Landscapes: Increasing Access to Informal Learning Opportunities for Children and Families

Abstract

Environments for Latine children promoting positive feelings towards math from an early age can increase engagement in math activities (Gunderson et al., 2018; Eccles & Wigfield, 2020), helping address early educational disparities (Garcia, 2015; Kohler & Lazarín, 2007). Guided play is promising for connecting math to everyday experiences and fostering joyful perceptions of math (Hirsh-Pasek et al., 2020; Ramirez et al., 2018). To improve accessibility and scalability in school settings, involving teachers and students in the design of educational programs is essential (Fishman & Penuel, 2018).

Playful Learning Landscapes (PLL) redesign physical spaces to promote positive learning experiences by merging learning goals, playful learning, and community engagement (Bermudez et al., 2023; Pesch et al., 2022). This study utilizes guided play as a socio-cultural theory (Zurek et al., 2014), creating schoolyard games based on local contexts, incorporating math learning goals and scaffolded interactions. Through community-based design methods, we involve teachers in a collaborative and flexible process (Leavy, 2017). In this study, we share our process, the main themes that emerged, and insights into children’s motivational experiences.

This study is part of an ongoing partnership with El Sol Academy, a public charter school in California, serving predominantly Latine students (96%) from low-income families (60%) and English language learners (45%). We conducted three co-design sessions with six Latine teachers and two playtest sessions with 16 K-1st grade students. Figure 1 shows co-design activities (A) and the Plus-Minus Soccer Game (B). Furthermore, we will conduct observations of 24 students participating in the Soccer Number Ball games over six weeks in October and November 2023, documenting their enjoyment (e.g., cheering, clapping, and laughter) and interest (e.g., attentiveness, participation in roles, and math involvement) during the games.

Preliminary analysis revealed five key themes. (1) Teachers appreciated schoolyard games harnessing children’s gross motor skills, such as soccer, for math learning in K-1st grade. (2) Teachers highlighted the value of manipulatives in supporting math embedded in the games, aligning with classroom practices. (3) Teachers noted opportunities to connect number line use in the court with classroom techniques. (4) Teachers underscored the significance of creating engaging materials, such as videos and user-friendly guides, for training other teachers. (5) Feedback on playtest indicated children were actively engaged and enjoyed the math-oriented soccer game. One teacher remarked, “They loved it! When we came back, they [student participants] were telling the other kids, ‘Wait until you play! Are they going to play?’” Another teacher expressed, “They were so into it,” while imitating students’ cheering. Lastly, one more teacher found it “refreshing” to see students “engaged, counting, and active in their learning."

Our preliminary findings emphasize the value of leveraging teachers’ expertise in co-design and the power of play in fostering positive math experiences. This study contributes to the emerging literature on designing schoolyard math games (Alanazi, 2020; Bustamante et al., 2022). Additionally, it sheds light on the mechanisms through which these games might enhance enjoyment and interest in math-related activities, an area less explored in early childhood research and within the PLL initiative.

Authors

• Vanessa Noemy Bermudez, University of California - Irvine

• Siling Guo, University of California - Irvine

• Jessica Paola Lopez Perez, University of California - Irvine

• Jesse Giovanni Sánchez, University of California - Irvine

• Drew Bailey, University of California - Irvine

• Kreshnik Nasi Begolli, University of California - Irvine

• Andres Sebastian Bustamante, University of California - Irvine