International Journal of Applied Learning and Research in Algebra
Vol. 3 No. 2 (2026)

Wordwall-Supported Mathematics Instruction and Junior High School Students’ Mathematical Creative Thinking: A Quasi-Experimental Stud

Virna Jatnika Sary (Universitas Muhammadiyah Tangerang)
Ratu Sarah Fauziah Iskandar (Universitas Muhammadiyah Tangerang)
Abdul Baist (Universitas Muhammadiyah Tangerang)
Muhammad Azam (IBADAT International University Islamabad)



Article Info

Publish Date
14 Aug 2026

Abstract

Purpose – This study examines the effect of Wordwall-supported mathematics instruction on junior high school students’ mathematical creative thinking, with particular attention to fluency, flexibility, originality, and elaboration. It addresses the limited empirical evidence on how digital game-based learning supports domain-specific mathematical creativity in secondary education. Methodology – A quasi-experimental pretest–posttest nonequivalent control-group design involved 60 Grade 8 students in Tangerang, Indonesia. Thirty students received Wordwall-supported instruction and 30 received regular instruction. Mathematical creative thinking was measured using five open-ended tasks. Posttest scores were analysed using ANCOVA with pretest scores as a covariate, while normalised gain was used as a supplementary measure of improvement. Findings – After controlling for baseline performance, the experimental group achieved a higher adjusted posttest mean (86.73) than the control group (80.60), with an adjusted mean difference of 6.13 points, 95% CI [2.51, 9.74], F(1, 57) = 11.52, p = .001, partial η² = .168. The experimental group also showed a higher normalised gain (0.659 vs. 0.502), p = .002, with Hedges’ g = 0.85. Novelty – The study provides domain-specific evidence that Wordwall can support mathematical creativity when digital tasks are deliberately designed to elicit multiple solutions, strategic flexibility, original responses, and elaborated reasoning. Significance – The findings extend international research on digital game-based mathematics learning by showing how a widely accessible platform can support creative mathematical thinking in a lower-secondary context, offering a transferable instructional principle for technology-enhanced mathematics classrooms across diverse educational settings.

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Journal Info

Abbrev

Algebra

Publisher

Subject

Mathematics

Description

This journal significantly contributes to our understanding of algebra material in education. We are open to submissions on all relevant topics and are specifically interested in the following research areas: Research articles about the theory and practical applications of algebra. An exhaustive ...