Abstract:
Perceived enjoyment is often reckoned as one of the most important factors influencing
consumer behavior in educational learning material. Without the educational application providing a
positive experience, children are unlikely to interact with it. Previous research on the use of
educational applications in mathematics education has focused primarily on the learning potential of
these applications and has not adequately addressed the perceived enjoyment. The purpose of this
paper is to address this gap and to investigate the perceived enjoyment of mobile mathematical
learning games. This study adopted the GameFlow model and Game-Based Learning model as
theoretical base. A mixed method research methodology was employed where qualitative and
quantitative data was gathered through surveys and semi-structured interviews. Twenty-six children,
aged 10 to 13, from selected schools in one of South Africa’s provinces, participated in the study. The
results indicate that the interest, fantasy, sensation and goal constructs, as well as the reward systems
of mobile mathematical learning games, were most influential in terms of perceived enjoyment. The
findings of this study could be used by educators and parents in the evaluation and selection of mobile
mathematical learning games.
