The Effect of Arabic-Supported Educational Game on the Success of 9th-Grade Syrian Students in the Symbolic Language of Chemistry: Example of Turkey

Abstract

This study was carried out with a total of 75 students attending 9th grade in two high schools affiliated to the Ministry of National Education in Reyhanlı district, which hosted many Syrian refugees in Hatay province in the spring semester of 2018-2019 academic years and lasted for three weeks. A total of 75 students, 43 from two different 9th grade classes taught by the same teacher from the first high school, and 32 from the other high school, participated in the study. Two of these classes were assigned as the control group and one as the experimental group. While the symbolic language of chemistry was taught with the traditional teaching method in the control groups, an educational game with Arabic support was used in the experimental group based on the constructive learning approach. Prior knowledge, attitude-perception towards chemistry, and chemistry achievement tests were applied to all three groups before the implementation in order to control their prior knowledge and attitude and perception towards chemistry; the chemistry success test was applied again after the implementation. ANCOVA analysis was used to evaluate the data obtained from the tests. As a result of the study, it was concluded that High school 9th-grade students studying with the educational game based on constructivist learning approach had significantly higher mean score in the chemistry achievement test on the symbolic language of chemistry than the students studying with traditional teaching method, they relate the concepts more accurately, and performed more meaningful learning.