Reflections from the Process of Game-Based Teaching of Probability/Prikazi procesa poučavanja vjerojatnosti posredstvom igre

Abstract

Abstract

The aim of this study is to determine what happens when the subject of probability is taught via educational games. Participants in the research were fourth-grade students (N= 24, aged 9-10) who were taught for 3 class hours (each 40 minutes) by their teacher. The designed games were played among groups of 3-4 students. Data was gathered from 8 selected students’ responses to semi-structured interviews, the teacher’s views about the process, researchers’ evaluations of students’ reflections, students’ journal entries regarding the process, and audio and video recordings of students’ interactions. The findings were presented according to data collection sources. Evidence suggested that game-based teaching facilitated understanding, enhanced students’ participation and motivation, enabled them to work with peers, helped them overcome math anxiety, provided an amusing learning environment, although it also resulted in classroom management difficulty and a noisy learning environment. 

Key words: cooperative learning; game-based teaching; mathematics education; opinions of teacher and students; probability. 

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Sažetak

Cilj istraživanja bio je odrediti što će se dogoditi kada vjerojatnost poučavamo posredstvom obrazovne igre. Sudionici istraživanja bili su učenici četvrtog razreda (N= 24, dob 9-10) koji su imali tri nastavna sata (u trajanju od 40 minuta) i njihov učitelj. Odabrane igre provodile su se u skupinama od 3 do 4 učenika. Podaci su dobiveni na temelju odgovora osam učenika u polustrukturiranom intervjuu, stavova učitelja o procesu, istraživačke procjene učeničkih razmatranja, učeničkih bilješki u dnevnicima vezanim uz proces, kao i na temelju audio i video zapisa interakcije učenika. Nalazi su prikazani prema načinu prikupljanja podataka. Dokazi ukazuju na to da učenje posredstvom igre potiče razumijevanje, poboljšava sudjelovanje učenika i motivaciju, omogućuje zajednički rad s djecom, pomaže u suzbijanju straha od matematike, stvara zabavno okruženje za učenje, ali kao posljedicu ima poroblem vladanja razredom i prilično bučnu atmosferu za učenje. 

Ključne riječi: suradničko učenje; učenje posredstvom igre; matematika; stavovi učitelja i učenika; vjerojatnost.