The effect of educational games on student achievenment in social studies teaching

The purpose of this research is to reveal whether there is a significant difference in achievement levels between the group in which the educational game method is applied in the Social Studies course and the group in which the current teaching is applied. This research was conducted with quantitative research method. In the research model, the "Pretest-Posttest with Control Group" design was used. The study group of the research consists of a total of 60 students, 31 boys and 29 girls, studying in the 6th grade at a public school in Kayseri city center in the 2023-2024 academic year. The research was conducted in classes 6-A (group where lessons were taught with current instruction) and 6-B (group where lessons were taught with educational games). Educational game method was used in the group where lessons were taught with educational games, and traditional teaching methods were used in the group where lessons were taught with current education. An achievement test prepared by the researcher was used as a data collection tool in the study. The data obtained from the research were entered into a statistics program and analyzed by calculating the dependent sample t test, Alpha reliability coefficient of the test, item discrimination index of the questions and difficulty index averages. According to the findings obtained from the research, it was determined that there was a statistically significant difference between the success scores of the group in which the traditional teaching methods were applied and the group in which the educational game method was applied, in favor of the group in which the lesson was taught with the educational game. According to these results, it was determined that the success scores of the group taught with educational games in the Social Studies course were higher than the success scores of the group taught with the current education.