Board games in the elementary classroom: teachers’ perspectives

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ABSTRACT Background Recent research highlights the importance of developing children’s emotional and social competencies alongside academic knowledge and skills. Learning through play is a promising pedagogy that can contribute to children’s holistic development. Through playful pedagogies, children can develop social skills, cognitive abilities, and emotional competencies. Despite a global emphasis on learning through play, playful pedagogies tend to be less common in elementary schools than in pre-schools, and elementary school teachers rarely use them in their classrooms. Purpose Among the diverse range of playful pedagogies, board games stand out as one particularly engaging activity for fostering pupils’ holistic skills during middle childhood (aged 5 to 11). This study aimed to contribute to a gap in knowledge between the reported benefits of board games for children’s academic learning, emotional, and social competencies, and the actual practices of elementary school teachers. We asked the following research questions: 1) What are teachers’ perceptions of board games?; and 2) What are the key factors shaping their integration into classroom practices? Methods The study was conducted in France and gathered qualitative data through four semi-structured focus groups involving 18 elementary school teachers across four elementary schools. Data were analysed thematically. Findings Authors identified four overarching themes: 1) teachers’ knowledge about board games, 2) teachers’ role in classroom board games and their academic benefits, 3) board games for emotion regulation and social competencies, and 4) enablers and barriers to the implementation of board games in elementary school. Conclusion While elementary school teachers see the potential of board games to enhance academic, social, and emotional competencies, they face several barriers to implementing board game practice in their classrooms. These include official educational recommendations, the decline of play – both at home and in schools, and a lack of resources.