Effect of game method on success, permanence and attitude in children?s rights education

The aim of this study is to determine effect of children?s rights education supported by games on academic success of students, permanence of the knowledge learned and their attitudes related to children?s rights.The study group of the research was selected from among fifth grade students studying at 50. Year Primary School located in Adıyaman province and center district in the academic year 2010-2011. Students of 5-B class were determined to be the experimental group while students of 5-A group were determined to be the control group for the research and pre-test point average of both classes were equal. The study was conducted with the participation of a total of 56 students. 27 of these students were within the experimental group while 29 of them were within the control group.Education process was realized in the experimental group according to activities provided in teacher?s guidebook prepared by the Ministry of National Education according to constructivist teaching method and was supported by educational games prepared by the researcher according to unit attainments. The teacher provided education according to teacher?s guidebook in the control group and did not organize any additional activity.Pre-test final-test control group pilot model was used in the research. The researcher prepared a success test as a data collection tool in order to measure academic knowledge of students. ?Children?s Right Attitude Scale? developed by Kepenekçi (2006) was used to determine attitudes of students towards children?s rights before and after the application. A diary was written after each play played by students within the experimental group in order to obtain qualitative data for the research. The group participating in the research was applied a pre-test before the application, a final test after the application and a permanence test 30 days after the end of the application. Quantitative data obtained were analyzed by t-test according to dependent and independent groups by using SPSS program. Qualitative data were analyzed by content analysis.Statistical results obtained as a result of the research determined that there was not a meaningful difference between the academic success of experimental group students who were subject to education supported by the games and control group students who were subject to constructivist education before pre-test application and their attitudes towards children?s rights. After the final-test application, it was seen that there was a meaningful difference in favour of experimental group between the academic success and attitudes towards children?s rights of the test group and the control group. However, in permanence test performed 30 days after the final-test application, no meaningful difference was observed between final test and permanence test of both groups.When diaries constituting the qualitative part of the research were examined, it was seen that the student had better times, became happy and excited while they were playing. It was also revealed that the students loved the course and the teacher of the course more than they used to do owing to the play.