Students’ Experience during the Integration of Traditional Games into the Elementary School Program/Učenička iskustva integracije tradicionalnih igara u osnovnoškolski program

Abstract

Abstract  Even though the potential of game-based learning is widely recognized, we need to understand students to effectively integrate games in the classroom environment. This study aims to identify relevant factors that influence students’ experience during the integration of traditional children’s games into the elementary school program. The research involved 142 students from different elementary schools who participated in multiple learning sessions with pure game-based activities or games technologically enhanced with asynchronous/synchronous distance learning. A structural equation model was developed and tested using students’ responses to a survey conducted after each session. The results suggest that students’ experience is directly influenced by their motivation to participate in the new environment, their attitude during purely game-based classes, and technological behaviour during classes with distance learning activities. We also found that students of different ages showed similar subjective experience and identified a clear distinction between students’ views and learning outcomes during in-class gaming and asynchronous/synchronous conditions. Key words: classroom games; elementary school; game-based learning; structural equation model; students’ experience. --- Sažetak Iako je potencijal ucenja zasnovanog na igri siroko prepoznat, ucinkovita integracija igara u okruženje ucionice prije svega zahtijeva bolje razumijevanje ucenika. Cilj ovog istraživanja jest identificirati relevantne cimbenike koji utjecu na iskustva ucenika prilikom integracije tradicionalnih djecjih igara u program osnovne skole. U istraživanju su sudjelovala 142 ucenika iz razlicitih osnovnih skola, koji su pohađali veci broj sati na kojima su se koristile iskljucivo aktivnosti zasnovane na igri, odnosno igre tehnoloski pojacane (a)sinkronim ucenjem na daljinu. U sklopu istraživanja razvijen je model zasnovan na strukturnim jednadžbama, koji je testiran uz pomoc odgovora ucenika, prikupljenih s pomocu anketa provođenih nakon svakog sata. Rezultati sugeriraju da na iskustvo ucenika izravno utjece njihova motivacija za sudjelovanje u novom okruženju, njihovi stavovi (u vezi sa satima zasnovanim iskljucivo na igri), kao i tehnoloska ucinkovitost (u vezi sa satima koji ukljucuju aktivnosti zasnovane na ucenju na daljinu). Također smo ustanovili da ucenici razlicite dobi dijele slicna subjektivna iskustva te identificirali jasnu razliku između stavova ucenika i ishoda ucenja u kontekstu igranja u ucionici i (a)sinkronog ucenja.  Kljucne rijeci: igre u ucionici; osnovna skola; ucenje zasnovano na igri; model strukturne jednadžbe; iskustvo ucenika.