Educational Sciences: Theory & Practice

ISSN: 2630-5984

Pre-service Teachers’ Perceptions on Game Based Learning Scenarios in Primary Reading and Writing Instruction Courses

Ruhan Karadag
Adıyaman University, Faculty of Education, Department of Turkish Education, Adıyaman, Turkey

Abstract

The aim of this study was to explore pre-service teachers’ perceptions on the use of game-based learning in a Primary Reading and Writing Instruction Course. A mixed method research was used in the study. Participants were composed of a total of 189 pre-service teachers taking the Primary Reading and Writing Instruction course during the fall term of the 2013-2014 academic year. After a 12-week teaching period, the data regarding preservice teachers’ views were collected by means of a questionnaire and semi-structured interviews. While the descriptive analysis technique, including the presentation of data in terms of frequency (f) and percentages (%), was used for the quantitative data, the qualitative data analysis was completed progressively over three phases: (1) data reduction, (2) data display, and (3) conclusion drawing. The results of both the qualitative and quantitative data revealed that pre-service teachers held positive opinions toward the use of game based learning scenarios in Primary Reading and Writing Instruction courses. Moreover, according to the results, the preservice teachers stated that their knowledge related to primary reading and writing instruction was enhanced as a result of the game based activities. On the other hand, the challenge most frequently experienced by the pre-service teachers included feeling anxious about the possibility of failing to design both an age- and contentappropriate game.

Keywords
Game based learning, Primary reading and writing instruction, Teacher training, Primary school education, Pre-service teachers.