COMPUTER SCIENCE AND PRIMARY EDUCATION TEACHERS’ PERCEPTIONS, IN USING DIGITAL GAMES AS LEARNING TOOLS. OBSTACLES AND FACTORS THAT LEAD TO THEIR EFFECTIVE USE

Over the last decade, in addition to their entertainment dimension, digital games, have been used as teaching and learning tools. International literature has shown several studies that evaluate the effectiveness of digital games in the educational process. Many researchers argue that digital games can be of assistance to student’s learning and solving problems, as well as develop social and cognitive skills (Gee 2003, Prensky 2007, Oblinger & Oblinger 2005, Watson et al. 2011). This research aimed to computer science teachers and primary education teacher’s perceptions, regarding the use of digital games, as a teaching and learning tool, the factors that make their use effective, not to mention the barriers to their use. One hundred twenty teachers participated (70 computer science teachers and 50 teachers), by completing a questionnaire of fifteen questions, on a Likert scale and two open-ended questions. Results demonstrated that both teachers and computer educators agree that the use of digital games is a "good" practice, which enhances and enriches the learning process, provides motivation, and is an effective learning tool. Their design should be addressed to students’ personal needs and be based on learning principles. However, it has been observed that computer educators are the ones who use digital games in their teaching, more often as opposed to teachers. The main obstacles that prevent teachers from using technology in their classrooms are the lack of infrastructure, motivation, training, as well as the time available. The elements that seem to be taken into consideration by a teacher, in order to capitalize on digital games in the educational process, are personal needs and students’ particularities, as well as preparation, feedback and the setting of limits by the teachers. Research findings could be utilized in both digital play use in education and in its development, as a learning tool.  Article visualizations

Digitální hry ve výuce z pohledu učitelů

Cílem výzkumu bylo zjistit, jak učitelé vnímají zapojování digitálních her do výuky a jestli a jak učitelé ve výuce digitální hry používají. Práce je inspirována jinými výzkumy ze zahraničí, které popisují učitelský přístup k zapojování digitálních her do vzdělávacího procesu. Především v USA, Velké Británii, Švédsku či Singapuru. Data byla sebrána pomocí dotazníkového šetření, kterého se zúčastnilo celkem 586 respondentů z celé ČR. Výzkumné šetření tak především zjistilo jak často, jakým způsobem a s jakými obtížemi učitelé digitální hry využívají ve své praxi, popřípadě proč tuto metodu nevyužívají.Cílem výzkumu bylo zjistit, jak učitelé vnímají zapojování digitálních her do výuky a jestli a jak učitelé ve výuce digitální hry používají. Práce je inspirována jinými výzkumy ze zahraničí, které popisují učitelský přístup k zapojování digitálních her do vzdělávacího procesu. Především v USA, Velké Británii, Švédsku či Singapuru. Data byla sebrána pomocí dotazníkového šetření, kterého se zúčastnilo celkem 586 respondentů z celé ČR. Výzkumné šetření tak především zjistilo jak často, jakým způsobem a s jakými obtížemi učitelé digitální hry využívají ve své praxi, popřípadě proč tuto metodu nevyužívají.The research aims to describe how teachers perceive the involvement of digital games in the classroom and whether and how it is used in their teaching.The work is inspired by other studies from abroad, which describe teachers'approach to engaging digital games in the educational process. Especially in the USA, Great Britain or Sweden and Singapore. Data were collected using a questionnaire, which was attended by 586 respondents from across the country. The survey found especially how often, how and with what difficulties the teachers use digital games in their practice or why they not use this method

Turkish prospective teachers' perceptions regarding the use of computer games with educational features

Teachers' perceptions are critical to the success or failure of integrating computer games with educational features into classrooms. Consequently, it is essential to gather information about concerns they might have in regard to using these games in the classroom. This study was conducted to investigate the perceptions and future plans of a group of prospective computer teachers in Turkey. One-hundred sixteen students, from four different universities' Computer Education and Instructional Technology (CEIT) departments, participated in this study. The results of the study reveal that the prospective computer teachers who participated have positive perceptions regarding the use of computer games with educational features in education. Moreover, most of the participants plan to use such games in their future professions, according to their responses. However, some of the participants have doubts, especially concerning the issues of classroom management and the educational effectiveness of computer games currently on the market

English Language Learner Teachers’ Perceptions Of Digital Games On Student Learning

This body of work contains three articles that examine the intersectionality between English Language Learner (ELL) teachers and digital games. The purpose of the study is to qualitatively explore the perception of ELL teachers’ use of digital games as educational tools and whether they realize the potential to promote language learning for ELLs. This study aims to understand the lived experiences of ELL teachers to identify their viewpoint of language learning through gaming. The work focuses particularly on the teacher in an effort to contribute empirical work that supports the need for a more holistic approach to digital games in teacher education programs. This dissertation sought to answer four main questions: 1) What is the perception and lived experiences of ELL teachers use of digital games as educational tools?; 2) What are the perceived challenges facing ELL teachers in incorporating digital games?; 3) How does ELL teacher’s perception of digital games influence their use and incorporation?; 4) How do ELL teachers define best practices for digital games in order to promote language learning? I employed qualitative case study methods with a phenomenological lens to analyze the data. I interviewed six ELL teachers in the upper Midwest of the United States. The outcome of this study has the potential to enable teachers to use digital games effectively and to ultimately improve teaching and learning. Today, almost every aspect of society requires the use of technology. Therefore, the incorporation of technology into lesson plans is aligned with the needs of society in the 21st century. By adding digital games into classroom learning, educators may be able to better prepare students for their future careers. This preparation can be achieved because digital games have the potential to increase students’ problem-solving skills, as well as spatial and logical reasoning. The upward mobility and learning opportunities in digital games for ELLs are multiplied in fun and engaging ways

A study of the integration of technology in the school arts classroom

This study explores the use of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) and Educational Technology (ET) as an educational resource in the school Arts classroom. Many teachers lack the qualifications to teach the Performing Arts (PA) of the Curriculum and Policy Statement (CAPS). Therefore, teachers rely on curriculum documentation and textbooks to help guide planning of lessons and the execution thereof. Technology as a resource tool can assist teachers as they incorporate an overwhelming amount of content/concepts in lessons. In this way they could improve classroom practice in the PA disciplines. With the emergence of Operation Phakisa: ICT in Education (Department of Education [DoE] 2015), the researcher acknowledges that the integration of ET is unavoidable. Moreover, the research highlights the importance of engaging with the rising hegemony of ICT as the defining characteristic of the information society. Literature supporting the inclusivity of media and media-related resources in education are discussed. In addition, the literature review focuses on a wide variety of ET and concludes with the implementation of ET in a South African context. Teachers from the Foundation Phase (FP), Intermediate Phase (IP) and Senior Phase (SP), namely grade R – 7, were invited to participate in the study where they were observed during contact time drawing on technology to aid teaching pedagogy. The research design involved a qualitative inquiry with aspects of crystallization where the data was collected through observations, interviews and teacher’s self-assessment. The findings suggest that teachers received little or no training in one or more PA disciplines. The integration of technology in the teaching pedagogy led to an enhanced learning environment where the teacher could actively engage learners in meaningful activities. The findings furthermore revealed that the use of technology was not uniform and did not lead to neat conclusion. Instead the researcher found that a great deal of divergence in the use of technology. This divergence was found across art disciplines and the use of technology also differed among teachers. Finally, individual teachers also differed in their use of technology across the art disciplines that they taught. The learners benefited from the use of technology insofar as they displayed a better understanding of the concepts in subsequent lessons. Furthermore, by the end of the study, teachers had begun to implement the new teaching style in learning areas other than the PA

Perceptions of pre-service teachers', guidance counsellors' and school administrators' towards youth who participate in video game play

This study explores the perceptions and attitudes held towards youth who play video games by pre-service educators (n=61) enrolled in a teacher preparation program at a large Atlantic Canadian University. The need for potential interventions, via curriculum development amongst pre-service school personnel is also examined. To complete this work, surveys were distributed to undergraduate (i.e., Primary/Elementary or Intermediate/Secondary) and graduate students (i.e., Counselling Psychology or Educational Leadership) of the Faculty of Education. Findings indicate that while a majority of pre-service educators possess experience with gaming- albeit not necessarily within an educational context- they also hold moderately critical perceptions and attitudes towards youth video gaming. Variation between participants does exist. Further, this study finds there is currently little opportunity for pre-service educators to explore the topic of youth gaming as part of course-work in teacher preparation programming, but they view it as an important topic, which ought to be included in their pre-service education. Significant findings are discussed in relation to other scholarly research. In addition, implications for training and future research are discussed

A study of the integration of technology in the school arts classroom

This study explores the use of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) and Educational Technology (ET) as an educational resource in the school Arts classroom. Many teachers lack the qualifications to teach the Performing Arts (PA) of the Curriculum and Policy Statement (CAPS). Therefore, teachers rely on curriculum documentation and textbooks to help guide planning of lessons and the execution thereof. Technology as a resource tool can assist teachers as they incorporate an overwhelming amount of content/concepts in lessons. In this way they could improve classroom practice in the PA disciplines. With the emergence of Operation Phakisa: ICT in Education (Department of Education [DoE] 2015), the researcher acknowledges that the integration of ET is unavoidable. Moreover, the research highlights the importance of engaging with the rising hegemony of ICT as the defining characteristic of the information society. Literature supporting the inclusivity of media and media-related resources in education are discussed. In addition, the literature review focuses on a wide variety of ET and concludes with the implementation of ET in a South African context. Teachers from the Foundation Phase (FP), Intermediate Phase (IP) and Senior Phase (SP), namely grade R – 7, were invited to participate in the study where they were observed during contact time drawing on technology to aid teaching pedagogy. The research design involved a qualitative inquiry with aspects of crystallization where the data was collected through observations, interviews and teacher’s self-assessment. The findings suggest that teachers received little or no training in one or more PA disciplines. The integration of technology in the teaching pedagogy led to an enhanced learning environment where the teacher could actively engage learners in meaningful activities. The findings furthermore revealed that the use of technology was not uniform and did not lead to neat conclusion. Instead the researcher found that a great deal of divergence in the use of technology. This divergence was found across art disciplines and the use of technology also differed among teachers. Finally, individual teachers also differed in their use of technology across the art disciplines that they taught. The learners benefited from the use of technology insofar as they displayed a better understanding of the concepts in subsequent lessons. Furthermore, by the end of the study, teachers had begun to implement the new teaching style in learning areas other than the PA

Attitudes towards Digital Game-based Learning of Chinese Primary School English Teachers

As a result of technological advancement, the educational landscape in the field of language education has been experiencing a significant evolution. Educational gaming, as a newly emerged paradigm of online learning, has been explored for its potential in language teaching. Teachers’ attitudes and needs are crucial in the implementation of digital gaming into the classroom. However, few previous attitude studies have focused on English Language Teaching (ELT) and young learners, with even less conducted in the context of China, where the potential market for ELT is massive. Having identified the potential of Digital Game-based Learning (DGBL) in China, the Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) project was undertaken, in order to develop a DGBL platform to help Chinese young learners to learn English. This current study, focusing on the attitudes of teachers, constitutes a part of a large scale needs analysis regarding the implementation of DGBL in the context of China. In aiming to broaden the scope of understanding, a mixed methods design was employed to measure the attitudes of teachers in both a qualitative and quantitative manner. A total of 76 Chinese primary school English teachers completed the survey, and 3 of them were interviewed. The results revealed that, generally, the teachers hold positive attitudes towards using digital gaming to assist their English teaching. The potential of DGBL in motivating students and teaching vocabulary was highlighted in the investigation. Parallel with potential barriers identified, teachers also suggested a number of facilitative approaches for the implementation, among which the integration of digital games with the syllabus was raised as the first concern by most of the teachers. It was also concluded that administrative and financial support is a prerequisite for the implementation of DGBL, and that equality of participation in the games is a key factor in ensuring the efficiency of DGBL in classroom practices

Middle School Teachers\u27 Use and Perceptions of Digital Game-Based Learning

Studies have shown that digital media and digital games can enhance students\u27 learning experience. However, few teachers appear to use digital game-based learning (DGBL) regularly. The purpose of this qualitative study was to understand how middle school teachers use DGBL in the classroom and the factors that positively and negatively influenced their choices to use DGBL. Rogers\u27s diffusion of innovations theory framed the study. Research questions examined how middle school teachers use DGBL in the classroom, what they view as positively and negatively influencing decisions to integrate DGBL, and differences based upon the point in their teaching career when they began using DGBL. Eight purposively selected middle school teachers who have integrated DGBL were interviewed. In vivo and pattern coding were used in analysis. Findings indicated that teachers use DGBL to engage students in content, support skill building, promote teamwork, individualize learning, and for feedback and classroom management. Factors that positively influenced adoption included teachers\u27 own gaming experiences and perceptions of positive influence on lesson planning, classroom management, and students. Negative influences included technical difficulties, lack of self-efficacy, perceptions of students being distracted, time constraints, and the need for back up plans. There were some differences between number of years participants had been using DGBL. By better understanding how and why teachers use DGBL, policy makers, administrators, and preservice and professional development providers can develop strategies to better support DGBL use, which will benefit students\u27 learning

Exploring teacher and administrator perception regarding game-based learning

Although games have permeated our society and culture, they have yet to take their rightful place in education. Game-based learning (GBL) is associated with a myriad of benefits, including increased motivation, engagement, and varied skill development; yet it is not widely used in formal K-12 schooling. Therefore, it is critical to understand not only the educational value of games (board, social, and digital) but also stakeholders' perceptions of GBL as they may impact programs and implementation. Working from a constructivist paradigm, this research reviewed existing literature regarding GBL benefits, obstacles, use, and perceptions before shifting its attention to explore perceptions in one secondary education institution considering GBL as a common instructional practice. By focusing on research questions that examine teacher and administrator perceptions about, teacher use of, and administrative observations regarding GBL, the study aimed to support and inform this school in future GBL implementation initiatives. The study employed a mixed methods approach using surveys and focus group discussions in a cycle of explanatory sequential design that gathered targeted input from 10 teachers and 8 administrators from a 7-12 high school, as well as elements from an administrative review of teacher practice through historical data, to construct and confirm a collective stakeholder perception about GBL. Data was reviewed from all three approaches and themes emerged that connected findings across data sources as well as stakeholder subgroups. Critical information on game use, perceived benefits, potential obstacles, and the emergent generational gap between new and veteran teachers provided insightful results that ultimately addressed the core research questions and yielded interesting recommendations for future initiatives and research. While the study may not be able to define conclusively GBL's rightful place in the field of education, the research thoroughly explored the perceptions and realities that influence the inconsistencies associated with game use as tool for teaching and learning in this setting. As a result, this, or any, district can now build on the established foundation of qualitative and quantitative data on perceptions, use, values, and concerns to drive GBL progress in a direction that is manageable and meaningful.Ed.D., Educational Leadership and Management -- Drexel University, 201