Educational games with scientific stories and teacher and student opinions on science teaching

Secondary school learning environments consist of students who are in the transition phase from concrete to abstract operational period, where individual similarities and differences are at the forefront. It is inevitable for teachers to prepare effective learning environments by making use of different teaching techniques for subjects and concepts that are difficult to understand in science for students who have not yet acquired abstract thinking skills. The most entertaining of these learning environments for secondary school students is undoubtedly the environments where teaching with games is used. Educational games developed by emphasizing the role of a teacher are fun and effective tools to serve the purpose. It is force and movement in a subject that students have difficulty in learning. All these situations lead teachers to enrich the learning environment while teaching force and motion subjects and concepts. In this study, it is aimed to determine the thoughts of teachers and students about a teaching environment created with educational games supported by scientific stories in the teaching of 6th grade force and motion subjects and concepts. The study was planned, conducted and completed as an action research. The teaching process was carried out in two different branches consisting of 17 and 20 students studying in the 6th grade in the 2019-2020 academic year. In line with the determined purpose, 5 educational games (correct step, exit from the maze, check drop, I did it, I did it, graphico) and 5 scientific stories about these games (sacred mission: saving Hogo's family, 4 stubborn goats, 3 balanced objects, Pinocchio's running race, Ali Baba and observation notes) were prepared and applied. The applications were recorded in video form and at the end of all applications, the process was arranged with the video editing program (iMovie) in 46 minutes and prepared for teacher interviews. The interviews were planned as focus group interviews and 8 questions were determined by the researchers and experts for the interview to be held with the teacher group, and 7 questions for the interview to be held with the student group. Two focus group interviews were conducted with 12 teachers, who were determined by easily accessible sampling, by watching the application videos at the beginning. In addition, focus group interviews were conducted in two groups with 14 students selected by maximum variety sampling from the application group students. The audio recordings of the interviews were transcribed and analyzed on the NVivo12 program. According to the results of the research, teachers; It has been concluded that educational game applications supported by scientific stories have a positive effect on the meaning of the subject by concretizing abstract concepts, subject details that require three-dimensional thinking such as graphic drawing, and they want to include them in the teaching process because of the advantages of being easy to prepare, providing effective participation, and being economical and permanent. At the same time, it has been concluded that teachers need resources to facilitate the research and preparation process, as well as not having enough knowledge about teaching with educational games supported by scientific stories. It was concluded that the students, on the other hand, had an effective process in which they applied and made sense of the subject in a remarkable and entertaining atmosphere with the scientific story-supported educational game applications of the learning of the force and motion unit. It is thought that the scientific story-supported educational game applications used in the study will have a positive effect on the science education process and it is recommended to create applications for different levels or units. In addition, educational game applications supported by scientific stories by the ministry are recommended to be published as guidebooks for teachers or added to textbooks.