A quantitative approach to pre-service primary school teachers’ attitudes towards collaborative learning with video games: previous experience with video games can make the difference

Abstract

Increasing interest has been shown in using video games as an educational resource due to their pedagogical possibilities and their current expansion as an entertainment activity. However, their use in schools is still far from mainstream practice, which could be because of the barriers such as the price of video games, schools' technological infrastructures and teachers' attitudes. This article focuses on pre-service primary school teachers' attitudes (future primary school teachers currently studying at university) towards collaborative learning with video games, which employs video games in collaborative learning activities. Because playing video games is a common form of entertainment for higher education students, we investigate whether pre-service teachers' attitudes are influenced by their experience of playing video games (taking into account the number of years they have played video games), the frequency at which they play video games and their gender. This study takes a quantitative approach, using a questionnaire with a 5-point Likert attitude scale. The results indicate that pre-service primary teachers have a positive attitude towards collaborative learning with video games. Furthermore, students who have played video games for more years, who play more frequently and the male students have more positive attitudes to using video games in collaborative learning activities. Overall, pre-service teachers have positive attitudes towards collaborative learning with video games, which could affect the use of these resources in educational practices. As the main characters in the educational process, both teachers and children need to be comfortable with new practices to achieve the objective of the educational system, which is the complete formation of children.

Potential Barriers to the Implementation of Digital Game-Based Learning in the Classroom: Pre-service Teachers’ Views

“…The third perceived obstacle concerns barriers under the umbrella of lack of ICT training and includes responses such as the poor teacher training in ICT, limited information through workshops and training programs on the positive effects of digital games, lack of teacher cooperation, problems of student collaboration during the game, indicating the lack of teachers’ professional development (An, 2018 ; Hébert et al, 2021 ; Megagianni & Kakana, 2021 ; Spiteri & Chang Rundgren, 2020 ). Apart from the lack of know-how of games implementation in education regarding their content and the gameplay, this factor also reflects issues related to classroom management while playing (Martín-del-Pozo et al, 2017 ; Watson et al, 2013 ; Wu, 2015 ).…”

“…However, they mentioned a serial of barriers such as lack of the appropriate educational video games, lack of technical equipment, training and financial assistance and lack of support from school administrations (Bensiger, 2012 ; Van Eck et al, 2015 ). Martín-del-Pozo et al ( 2017 ), also, argued that pre-service teachers had positive attitudes towards collaborative learning through video games and had the willingness to use them in their educational practices.…”

“…The main reason for choosing pre-service teachers as a research target group is that they will soon start working in the real educational context. Additionally, they will be likely requested to implement DGBL and as a result authors consider that is essential to identify their readiness and their views since playing video games is a common form of entertainment for this generation (Martín-del-Pozo et al, 2017 ).…”

Creating opportunities for untethered learning

“…In contrast, primary school teachers are increasingly building communities of learners within their classrooms and encouraging students to work collaboratively (García-Carrión & Díez-Palomar, 2015). We use the word 'collaboration' here to describe students working together in groups, sharing goals, understandings and discussions to achieve agreed objectives (Martín del Pozo, et al, 2017).…”

Proyectos educativos de gamificación por videojuegos: desarrollo del pensamiento numérico y razonamiento escolar en contextos vulnerables

“…Los resultados de investigación han acrecentado el interés por el uso de gamificadores basados en plataformas de videojuegos en ordenadores (Li, Cheng y Liu, 2013), y, la aplicación de juegos virtuales a través de aplicativos móviles (Martín, Gómez y García, 2017). En especial, el uso de videojuegos en clase, implica generar mejorías en el aprendizaje, específicamente, en el desarrollo de competencias matemáticas (Glaser-Opitz y Budajová, 2016), del razonamiento (Dos Santos y Gomes, 2016; Fuentes y Quilcate, 2015; León, Lucano y Oliva, 2014), en la motivación y la creatividad (Hervás, Ballesteros y Corujo, 2018;Teixes, 2014), o en el desarrollo de funciones socio-emocionales y en las funciones neuro-educativas .…”