Turkish prospective teachers' perceptions regarding the use of computer games with educational features

CAN G., ÇAĞILTAY K.

EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY & SOCIETY, vol.9, no.1, pp.308-321, 2006 (SSCI) identifier identifier

  • Publication Type: Article / Article
  • Volume: 9 Issue: 1
  • Publication Date: 2006
  • Journal Name: EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY & SOCIETY
  • Journal Indexes: Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI), Scopus
  • Page Numbers: pp.308-321
  • Keywords: computer games, educational games, technology integration, prospective teachers, VIOLENT VIDEO GAMES, AGGRESSIVE-BEHAVIOR, ADOLESCENTS, MEDIA, PLAY
  • Middle East Technical University Affiliated: Yes

Abstract

Teachers' perceptions are critical to the success or failure of integrating computer games with educational features into classrooms. Consequently, it is essential to gather information about concerns they might have in regard to using these games in the classroom. This study was conducted to investigate the perceptions and future plans of a group of prospective computer teachers in Turkey. One-hundred sixteen students, from four different universities' Computer Education and Instructional Technology (CEIT) departments, participated in this study. The results of the study reveal that the prospective computer teachers who participated have positive perceptions regarding the use of computer games with educational features in education. Moreover, most of the participants plan to use such games in their future professions, according to their responses. However, some of the participants have doubts, especially concerning the issues of classroom management and the educational effectiveness of computer games currently on the market.