From Boredom to Excitement: Transforming Classroom Activities with Realia-Based Games

Abstract

Lack of engagement can have serious consequences for student achievement and motivation. Students who are disengaged from the learning process may struggle to retain information and may be less likely to complete assignments or participate in class discussions. This can lead to poor grades, lower academic achievement, and reduced motivation to learn. In many cases, students feel like they are passive recipients of information, rather than active participants in the learning process. Lectures, note-taking, and reading assignments can feel like a chore, rather than an exciting opportunity to learn something new. To combat this issue, many educators are turning to more engaging and interactive teaching methods. By incorporating games and other interactive activities into the classroom, teachers can create a more dynamic and engaging learning environment that promotes active participation and student collaboration, Realia-based games, are one such approach. This study employed a quasi-experimental design, comparing the performance of students in a treatment group that receives realia-game based instruction with a control group that receives conventional instruction. The study included 100 undergraduate students (50 in the treatment group and 50 in the control group) from the same program. Participants were selected based on convenience sampling. Qualitative data was collected through student surveys, which assessed student engagement, motivation, and interest in the subject matter. The findings revealed that Realia-game based instruction led to higher levels of academic achievement compared to conventional instruction. The results of this study will aid instructors in implementing realia-based games in teaching and learning process.