Study finds playing the SMG yields gains for student achievement in math and financial literacy
- See the full press release of August 27, 2009
- View the Study flyer, and share it with administrators and other teaching staff
A year-long independent study found that elementary school students in grades 4-6 who played the SMG scored on average above the 55th percentile on mathematics tests, while students who did not play the SMG scored on average above the 43rd percentile.
Students in grades 7-10 who played the SMG scored on average above the 54th percentile, while students who did not play the SMG scored on average above the 46th percentile.
SMG participation also increased knowledge of financial concepts. Elementary school students who played the SMG scored on average above the 68th percentile compared to an average score above the 42nd percentile for those who did not.
Middle and high school students scored on average above the 48th percentile, while their peers scored above the 42nd and 40th percentiles respectively.
Additional findings:
- Most students reported that playing on a team during the SMG was a positive experience and improved their interaction with others (70 to 71 percent).
- A majority of students reported that the SMG influenced their development of financial life skills (87 percent for elementary, 67 percent of MS-HS)
- Some students reported applying learning from the SMG beyond the classroom. Thirty to 44 percent of students reported researching stocks or companies on the Internet or in the newspapers when not in class. Almost 58 percent of younger students, and 39 percent of older students, reported that they talked to their parents about The Stock Market Game.
- Teaching the SMG with a greater breadth and depth of practices was found to be related to stronger engagement for younger students; to be related to stronger positive interactions among younger students; to be related to younger students applying their learning activities beyond the classroom.
- Student achievement increased regardless of how teachers implemented The Stock Market Game.
Econ Illinois extends appreciation to the numerous anonymous Illinois teachers who took part in this study. Thank you!
Contact Econ Illinois for the complete study results.