A Digital Game-Based Learning Method to Improve Students’ Critical Thinking Skills in Elementary Science

Mahmood H Hussein,Meow-Keong Thong,Siew Hock Ow,Loh Sau Cheong

doi:10.1109/access.2019.2929089

Abstract

For this paper, an educational computer game called Ecoship Endeavour was designed based on the guidelines of the inquiry, communication, mystery, decision making, challenge, and rewards (ICMDCR) framework to help facilitate critical thinking skills in students. To examine the effectiveness of the proposed digital game-based learning (DGBL) approach, a quasi-experiment was conducted in the units of “food relationship among living things”, “life processes in plants”, and “energy” of an elementary science course. A total of 127 fifth grade students (females only) from four classes consented to participate in this learning activity. Two classes ( $N = 62$ ) were assigned to the experimental group and guided by the developed game, and the other two classes ( $N = 65$ ) were allocated to the control group and taught by the conventional method of science teaching. The experimental results revealed that Ecoship Endeavour significantly improved the critical thinking skills of students; however, it was also revealed that the DGBL activity had no significant effects on students’ learning motivation and self-efficacy for science learning. Finally, more research is needed to examine the instructional benefits of the proposed method with more inclusive research samples consisting of both male and female learners. The outcome of this research may help researchers, teachers, and practitioners in the educational sector to evaluate the effectiveness of serious games in facilitating students’ critical thinking.

Highlights

Promoting learners’ critical thinking can equip them with the skills required to face the challenges and demands of the 21st-century and grow learners into more active and informed citizens [1], [2]
ANALYSIS OF CRITICAL THINKING The goal of the present study was to evaluate the effectiveness of Ecoship Endeavour in terms of improving students’ critical thinking skills
Students guided by Ecoship Endeavour demonstrated significantly better critical thinking skills than those who learned with the traditional method of science teaching

Summary

Introduction

Promoting learners’ critical thinking can equip them with the skills required to face the challenges and demands of the 21st-century and grow learners into more active and informed citizens [1], [2]. Proficiency in critical thinking is associated with reflective thinking and skillful judging [5], success in undergraduate education [1], and is considered a key skill for business leaders [6]. A key reason for students’ poor utilization of critical thinking is often attributed to the traditional method of schooling, which places great emphasis on test scores [10] and lacks exposure to complex problem-solving tasks [11], [12]. Findings from previous research studies show that using computer technology in learning can foster students’ critical thinking [17], [18]

Objectives

Results

Conclusion