Didactic Games in Social Studies in Primary School

Polona Jančič,Vlasta Hus

doi:10.4236/ce.2017.812129

Abstract

This study attempts to present representation of didactic games in social studies classes in primary school. We were especially interested in origin of didactic games that teacher use. Didactic game is a game used in classes taught with game-based learning and is proven to be an effective experiential learning method in more researches by Boocock, Bognar and others. In March and April 2017, we conducted a research among the 290 students of the 4th and 5th grade and 177 teachers teaching 4th and 5th grade about the representation of didactic games in wider aspects in the 4th and 5th grade of social studies classes in Slovenian primary schools. In addition, 56 social studies lessons were observed. Results revealed that there is a problem of insufficient range of ready-to-use or ready-made games designed for the subject social studies, therefore the majority of teachers had already created a didactic game by themselves.

Highlights

In recent decades, the interest in games in classroom has increased. Boocock (1972) as in Bognar (1987), Roskos & Christie (2000), Ginsburg (2007), Cenčič et al (2008), Miller & Almon (2009) and Juriševič (2012) are only some of the authors that have researched the effects of didactic game on teaching and learning among different age groups of children and on different educational stages
Didactic games can be classified in constructive games, which emerge as children gain more experience playing with materials and begin to construct things, role-playing games, with which we present an event, activity or situation from real life and games with rules, which have rules that students must take into account
Teacher used following games: 1) Games with rules: Four teachers, who used this type of didactic game, made a quiz adjusted to the theme discussed in a particular lesson

Summary

Introduction

The interest in games in classroom has increased. Boocock (1972) as in Bognar (1987), Roskos & Christie (2000), Ginsburg (2007), Cenčič et al (2008), Miller & Almon (2009) and Juriševič (2012) are only some of the authors that have researched the effects of didactic game on teaching and learning among different age groups of children and on different educational stages. Positive effects have been proven on different stages, there is no doubt didactic games are a desired and useful part of teaching process. We focus on the origin of didactic games. We observed insufficient range of Slovenian didactic games for social studies, we were in-. Hus terested in the origin of didactic games or its concept. We present a part of a wider research about didactic games in social studies related to the origin of didactic games. We present the subject of social studies in Slovenian primary schools, explain the theory of didactic games and, lastly, present the research with its results and discussion

Objectives

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion