Influence of the Use of Culturally Themed Educational Games on Pupils’ Acquisition of Basic Arithmetic Skills in Lower Grades of Public Primary Schools in Malindi Sub-County, Kilifi County

The purpose of the study was to examine influence of the use of culturally themed educational games on learners’ acquisition of basic arithmetic skills in lower grades of public primary schools in Malindi Sub-County, Kilifi County. The study was guided by the following research question: How does the use of culturally themed educational games influence the acquisition of arithmetic skills among lower grade learners in public primary schools? The study was informed by Ethno-mathematics Theory. The study adopted a mixed methods approach, employing a convergent design. A cross-sectional and phenomenology designs were employed to collect quantitative and qualitative data respectively. The target population included 82 public primary schools, 82 head teachers, 415 lower grade teachers, 2,880 lower grade pupils, and one Sub-County Director of Education (SCDE) from Malindi sub-county. Stratified sampling was used to select 10 public primary schools, systematic sampling to select 288 lower grade pupils, simple random sampling to select 81 lower grade teachers, purposive sampling to select 10 head teachers, and one SCDE. Data collection instruments included questionnaires for teachers, interview guides for head teachers and SCDE, and focus groups discussion guide for learners. Reliability was confirmed using Cronbach’s Alpha coefficient of 0.8. Validity of qualitative instruments was ensured through expert review, pilot testing, triangulation, and member checking to enhance trustworthiness and credibility. Quantitative data was analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics while qualitative data was subjected to thematic content analysis. The study observed ethics. The study revealed that culturally themed educational games enhanced pupils’ engagement, participation and acquisition of basic arithmetic skills among lower grade pupils in public primary schools. The findings showed that culturally relevant games had the potential to promote meaningful and effective numeracy learning. The study recommends teachers to integrate culturally themed educational games in mathematics instruction as well as education stakeholders to provide resources and training to facilitate implementation.