Abstract
The adoption of games in the classroom has been studied from different angles, such as the readiness of teachers to use games or the barriers encountered. However, actual classroom practices with regard to the use of games have not been examined on a larger scale. With this research, we gave teachers a voice to report on their actual practices. We examined the current practices of a large sample of Estonian teachers (N = 1258, which constitutes almost 9% of the total Estonian teacher population) in primary and secondary education in 2017. We found that most of the teachers use games on a regular basis. Mainly, they use the games for motivation and alternation, but they also use them to consolidate and teach new skills. While awareness and motivation are high and experimentation on using games is widespread, practices appear fragmentary and not widely sustained. As a result of this study, we suggest the creation of an evidence base and a better integration of social support structures into teacher education. This is the first large-scale study to look into Estonian teacher’s actual practices, and although Estonian teachers have relatively high autonomy and technical skills, we believe that these results and further investigations are applicable in other contexts as well.
Highlights
The use of games in the classroom can be seen as an attempt to introduce student-centered and collaborative elements into school education
We propose the following research questions: RQ1: How widespread is the use of games in the classroom in Estonia?
We have presented the first large-scale study to look into game adoption in Estonian schools
Summary
The use of games in the classroom can be seen as an attempt to introduce student-centered and collaborative elements into school education. Games in this context are playful activities that teachers use in their teaching; these can be anything starting from movement games to board games or digital games. There is some evidence that GBL (game-based learning) technologies improve motivation and interest [1]. A systematic literature review of game-based learning empirical evidence in primary education by Hainey [6] stated that GBL has developed a reputation with educationalists; it is perceived as a potentially engaging form of supplementary learning that could enhance the educational process and has been used at all levels of education including primary, secondary, and tertiary education.
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