VIEWS OF CLASSROOM TEACHERS ON EDUCATIONAL GAME TECHNIQUES

Abstract

Various teaching methods and techniques have been benefited in the light of constructivist approach adopted in today’s educational system. These methods and techniques provide students to develop more efficient learning participating into the educational process actively and construct the knowledge substantive. One of these techniques is educational games. Educational games provide motivation of students in lessons, develop their physical and mental activities, and increase their active participation into the process. The purpose of this study was to determine the views of classroom teachers on the technique of educational games. The educational that had different types according to their variances and purposes were tried to be determined for what purposes and at what frequency they were used by classroom teachers, and also to what extent classroom teachers had knowledge on these games was tried to be specified. Qualitative research design was used in the study. The study group of the research included classroom teachers carrying on their duties in 11 elementary education schools affiliated to Central District of Mersin province. The data were collected from 50 teachers lecturing the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th grades using semi-structured interview form including 6 open-ended questions developed for this research. Content analysis was performed to qualitative-dimensional data, and digitalized under specific categories. In the research, it was determined that teachers used 2 games in lessons as average, and these were mostly used for providing students to learn entertainingly, and providing motivation in lessons. The participants frequently expressed that classroom teachers were incompetent on educational games, and classroom teachers were determined not possible to go beyond using classical games and classical materials during the educational process. As result of obtained findings, some suggestions were offered for overcoming the incompetence of classroom teachers on educational games benefiting from the expressions mentioned by teachers.

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