How Do Games And Manipulatives Impact Students Interest And Performance In Mathematics?

Rationale of Research
Over the years many students struggle with understanding mathematical concepts and become very frustrated and lacking interest in the subject. Most students performed below the averaged. It became apparent to myself that the need to research the effect of Manipulatives and Games on students' interest and performance in Mathematics.
Mathematics is a very important subject and so it concepts should be delivered properly to students. “I also believe we have to revamp the way we teach the subject from the very start-the early-childhood level. We have a serious phobia when it comes to the subject and that has to be addressed” Thwaites stated. (Gleaner 2016).
Research Questions
1. How do games and manipulatives impact students'
Munger, as cited by Larbi & Mavis (2016), postulated that the uses of instructional materials enable learners to understand lesson easily. Their uses facilitate the acquisition of knowledge by learners, help make discovered facts stick firmly to their minds and result in better performance. During the intervention process, most students were able to remember what was done in previous classes. Larbi & Mavis further went on to say that the uses of the manipulatives arouse learners' interest and promote active involvement in the lesson. Manipulatives and games can be used to increase students' performance and arouse their interest in learning Mathematics; they will gravitate more to learning. Smith, as cited by Larbi & Mavis (2016), defines manipulatives as "physical objects that are used as a teaching tool to engage students in the hands-on learning of mathematics". Lesh, as cited by Post (1981), has suggested that manipulative materials can be effectively used as an intermediary between the real world and the mathematical world. He contends that such use would tend to promote problem-solving ability by providing a vehicle through which children can model real-world situation. Shaw (2002) stated that manipulatives help students develop conceptual understanding of mathematical ideas by representing the ideas in multiple ways. She further stated that Manipulatives help students to build deeper mathematics understanding and gain the benefits of healthy attitudes toward mathematics as a discipline, manipulatives, and models are valuable resource tools for engaging students in the language and communication of mathematical ideas and concepts. Using manipulative to teaching mathematics can help students in many ways. Shaw postulated that using manipulative in learning mathematics is beneficial as it enhances the abilities of students at all levels of reason and communicate; deepens understanding of