Pre-Service Middle School Mathematics Teachers’ Considerations for Using Digital Games in Their Future Classrooms

Year 2023, Volume: 5 Issue: Özel Sayı, 244 - 270, 29.10.2023

Seher Avcu

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to explore pre-service teachers’ considerations for using digital mathematics games in their future classrooms. The participants of the study were eighteen pre-service middle school mathematics teachers who were enrolled in a teacher education program at a state university in Türkiye. Before collecting the data of the study, the participants took part in a fourteen-week elective course through which they gained some experience in designing digital mathematics games using the Scratch programming language. The data of the study were collected through a questionnaire with five open-ended questions. Follow-up interviews were conducted in relation to the questions in the questionnaire. The findings showed that all participants except for one expressed that they would use digital games in the last part of their mathematics lesson for the purpose of doing exercises, practicing, assessing learning, and identifying deficiencies in students’ learning. Moreover, more than half of the participants expressed that they would use digital games in the main part of the lesson for teaching mathematics. About one-fifth of the participants expressed that they would use digital games in the introduction part of the lesson for the purpose of increasing students’ curiosity about mathematics, attracting students’ attention to the mathematical topics, motivating students to take mathematics lessons, and checking or recalling students’ prior knowledge of different mathematical topics. On the other hand, roughly six-tenths of the participants thought that it is not possible to teach a mathematical topic entirely with digital mathematics games without the need to do any other activity other than digital mathematics games and a quarter of them thought that this depends on the digital game and the mathematical topic that is being taught. The common issues that participants considered when planning to use a digital mathematics game are compatibility with the mathematical topic, clarity of the game, appropriateness of the game to students’ readiness and grade levels, and enjoyment of the game. Finally, the participants foresaw the following potential problems when using digital games in their future classrooms: unclarity of the game, incompatibility of the game with the mathematical topic, inappropriateness of the game for students’ readiness and grade levels, and technological problems.

Keywords

Designing digital mathematics games, pre-service middle school mathematics teachers, Scratch programming language

Project Number

Yok

Öğretmen Adaylarının Matematik Öğretiminde Dijital Oyun Kullanımına İlişkin Dikkate Aldıkları Hususlar

Abstract

Bu çalışmanın amacı, öğretmen adaylarının matematik öğretiminde dijital oyun kullanımına ilişkin dikkate aldıkları hususları araştırmaktır. Çalışmanın katılımcıları, Türkiye’deki bir devlet üniversitesinde öğretmen eğitimi programına kayıtlı olan on sekiz ortaokul matematik öğretmeni adayıdır. Araştırmanın katılımcıları ölçüt örnekleme yöntemi kullanılarak seçilmiştir. Dijital matematik oyunları tasarlama konusunda deneyim sahibi olmak katılımcı seçiminde kriter olarak kullanılmıştır. Bu nedenle, veri toplamadan önce, katılımcılar Scratch programlama dili aracılığıyla dijital matematik oyunları tasarlama konusunda deneyim kazandıkları on dört haftalık seçmeli bir derse katılmışlardır. Bu seçmeli ders kapsamında öğretmen adayları matematik içerikli dijital oyunlar tasarlamışlardır. Veriler beş açık uçlu sorudan oluşan bir test aracılığıyla toplanmıştır. Daha sonra katılımcılar ile bu sorulara ilişkin görüşmeler yapılmıştır. Katılımcıların biri dışında tamamı dijital oyunları matematik derslerinin son bölümünde alıştırma yapmak, pratik yapmak, öğrenmeyi değerlendirmek ve öğrencilerin öğrenmelerindeki eksiklikleri belirlemek amacıyla kullanacaklarını ifade etmiştir. Ayrıca, katılımcıların yarısından fazlası, dijital oyunları dersin ana bölümünde matematik öğretmek için kullanacaklarını ifade etmiştir. Katılımcıların yaklaşık beşte biri, dijital oyunları dersin giriş bölümünde öğrencilerin merakını artırmak, dikkatlerini matematik konularına çekmek, matematik konularına ilişkin ön bilgilerini kontrol etmek ve öğrencileri matematik öğrenmeye motive etmek amacıyla kullanacaklarını ifade etmiştir. Öte yandan, katılımcıların yaklaşık onda altısı, dijital matematik oyunları dışında başka bir etkinlik yapmaya gerek kalmadan bir matematik konusunu tamamen dijital matematik oyunlarıyla öğretmenin mümkün olmadığını, dörtte biri ise bunun dijital oyuna ve öğretilen matematik konusuna bağlı olduğunu düşünmektedir. Katılımcıların dijital matematik oyunlarını kullanmayı planlarken göz önünde bulundurdukları hususlar şunlardır: matematiksel konuya uygunluk, oyunun anlaşılırlığı, oyunun öğrencilerin hazırbulunuşluk ve sınıf seviyelerine uygunluğu ve oyunun eğlenceli olması. Son olarak, öğretmen adayları gelecekteki sınıflarında dijital oyunları kullanırken şu sorunların yaşanabileceğini öngörmüşlerdir: oyunun yeterince açık olmaması, oyunun öğretilecek matematik konusu ile uyumsuzluğu, oyunun öğrencilerin hazır bulunuşluk ve sınıf seviyelerine uygun olmaması ve teknolojik sorunlar.

Keywords

Dijital matematik oyun tasarımı, ortaokul matematik öğretmen adayları, Scratch

Supporting Institution

Yok

Project Number

Yok

Thanks

Yok

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