Impact of educational game development on students’ achievement and attitudes toward science

AbstractTo develop positive attitudes toward science, students should have the opportunity to experience enjoyment and enthusiasm within a conducive learning environment. This can be achieved through engaging in hands-on activities and participating in collaborative, student-centered activities. This study aimed to investigate the impact of developing educational games on student attitudes toward science and their academic achievement. Seventeen seventh-grade students participated in a study to develop educational games on the topic of ‘The Particulate Nature of Matter and Pure Substances’. The quantitative results indicated a significant positive effect of educational game development on students’ attitudes and achievement. Furthermore, the qualitative findings corroborated the quantitative results, as students expressed enjoyment during the implementation of the games and reported an enhanced understanding of the topic. Educational games can be utilized both in and outside the classroom, particularly for students encountering difficulties in learning, as a valuable tool for reinforcing the subject matter.Keywords: Attitudes toward scienceeducational gamesscience educationelementary students Disclosure statementNo potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.Additional informationFundingThis work was supported by the Bartin University Scientific Research Projects Coordination Unit under Grant number 2016-SOS-CY-013.