Opinions of Pre-Service Teachers on The Use of Educational Digital Games in Science Lessons

Abstract

In this study, the opinions of pre-service teachers on the use of educational digital games in science lessons were examined. The research model of the study is qualitative model. The criterion sampling method, which is one of the purposive sampling methods, was used in the selection of the study group. The study group consists of 12 undergraduate 4th grade teacher candidates who study at a state university and choose the elective course called “Science Education with Games”. In the study, 12 pre-service teachers developed educational digital games in an elective undergraduate course for one semester and presented the games they developed to other pre-service teachers. All processes were carried out online. The data in the study were obtained in the 2020-2021 academic year. Semi-structured interview was used as data collection tool. For semi-structured interviews, semi-structured interview form was implemented to pre-service teachers before and after the implementation. In data analysis, qualitative data were analyzed using content analysis. The collected data were analyzed and interpreted. As a result of the study, it was seen that the opinions of the pre-service teachers about the use of educational digital games in the science lesson were positive. In addition, pre-service teachers stated that the use of educational digital games provides learning with fun.