Abstract
The aim of this study is to determine the effects of educational games on students' academic achievement, attitudes towards the course and cooperative learning skills. Semi-experimental research design with pretest posttest control group was used. The study group consisted of 60 students at 5th grade secondary school. In this process, the topics identified were reinforced by educational games in experimental group and control group were strengthened by traditional methods for 6 weeks. Research data were collected by using Social Studies Course Attitude Scale (Cronbach Alpha=0.61), Cooperative Learning Scale (α=0.80) and Social Studies Course Academic Achievement Scale (kr-20=0.78). The mean, standard deviation, and Anova analyses were performed As a result: Social Studies Education reinforced by gamification contributes significantly more to students ' attitudes towards social studies course than traditional method. However, it was determined that it did not contribute significantly to the benefit factor. Social studies education, which is reinforced by educational games, contributes significantly more to students ' cooperative learning skills than the traditional method. Social studies education, which is reinforced by educational games, contributes significantly more to students ' academic achievement towards social studies course than the traditional method.
Highlights
Social studies course, both at individual and societal level, aims at raising active and productive citizens who are aware of their rights and fulfill their responsibilities
Among the values stated in the Instructional Program of Social Sciences developed by the Ministry of National Education (MONE), cooperation, responsibility and patriotism are in the spotlight (MONE, 2018)
The study demonstrated that learning processes enriched by gamification activities contributed to student success, which is in line with the literature as well
Summary
Both at individual and societal level, aims at raising active and productive citizens who are aware of their rights and fulfill their responsibilities. In a quantitative study conducted by Arslantaş (2006) about the instruction of social studies, teachers pointed out that the current curriculum in practice is too comprehensive, the content carries abstraction and fails to draw the attention of the students. In response to these issues regarding the content and instruction of social studies course, the literature underlines the need to develop an understanding of social studies instruction based on the constructivist learning theory. Rather than such teacher-centered methods as lecturing, it is emphasized that learner based methods like discussion, drama, question and answer, problem solution, project, research, field trip observation and gamification are more likely to contribute to the learners. (Alkan & Kurt, 1998; Sönmez,1996; Kısakürek, 1988; Binbaşıoğlu, 1981)
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