Movement
BasketballMathematics
BasketballMathematics is a method where we unite the qualities and challenges from playing basketball and school-oriented mathematics.
The idea is to unite the joy that naturally occurs when exercising your body through basketball exercises with the challenges of solving mathematical problems.
BasketballMathematics is a projekt where mathematics is combined with playful basketball-like activities for children of the age from 7-15 years old.
The aim of the project is to combine existing knowledge about active learning in a new way.
The activities are developed in the perspective so the children with different ballgames skills can partipate together and have fun learning ballgame skills and mathematics at the same time.
Through BasketballMathematics the children will explore and develop their motor skills, learning skills and relational skills. That happens when they in groups are working together on practising basketball skills at the same time as they solve mathematical problems.
The hypothesis is that the children’s will find BasketballMathematics more intrinsically motivating than classroom based mathematics and this can potentially improve their mathematical abilities.
Currently, we are doing a cluster-randomized control study with approximately 800 children where the intervention group have BasketballMathematics and the control group have Basketball (without mathematics) once a week for six weeks in their Physical Education classes.
Pythagoras
Short version
Medium version
Long version
Jensen, O.E., Damsgaard, L., Rohde, R.A. et al. Integrating Fractions into Physical Education classes can improve Mathematical Performance in 11–13-Year-Olds - The Basketball Mathematics project. Educ Psychol Rev 38, 85 (2026).
BASKETMATEMATIK - 8 ugers forløb for 6. - 7. klasse (Danish)
Da matematikken kom ind i idræt, fik eleverne lettere ved at lære brøker. Folkeskolen.dk November 2025. (Danish)
Six Weeks of Basketball Combined With Mathematics in Physical Education Classes Can Improve Children's Motivation for Mathematics. Wienecke, J., Hauge, J., Nielsen, G., Mouritzen, K., & Damsgaard, L., 2021, Frontiers in psychology, 12, 753.
Matematik kombineret med basketball øger skolebørns lyst til at lære. Artikel af Mette Mølgaard på videnskab.dk (Danish)
Basketballmatematik. Folkeskolen nr. 13, 2020. (Danish)
Involved in the project
| Name | Title | Phone | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jacob Wienecke | Associate Professor | +4535327346 | |
| Ole Emil Jensen | Research Assistant |
Contact
Jacob Wienecke
Associate professor