Perspectives of primary school students attending in BİLSEM on mind and intelligence games: A basic qualitative research approach

This study aims to elucidate the perspectives of primary school students attending BILSEM regarding mind and intelligence games. In pursuit of this objective, the research investigates the significance of mind and intelligence games, which exert a multifaceted influence on various domains of individual development, their capacity to enhance specific skills, and how students implement the knowledge acquired from these games within their respective environments. To adhere to the subject matter and nature of the research, the fundamental qualitative research method, a basic qualitative research design, has been employed. The research sample comprises 15 primary school students attending BILSEM in the Bitlis province. Criterion sampling, a purposive sampling technique, has been utilized as the sampling method in the research. The data for the study have been derived through interviews conducted using a semi-structured interview form consisting of 11 researcher-generated questions. Participants' opinions have been captured via audio recording throughout the course of the interviews. Descriptive analysis, a qualitative data analysis method that aligns with the research design and methodology, has been selected as the preferred analytical approach for the research data. Based on the research findings, the following conclusions can be drawn: • Students perceive mind and intelligence games as possessing both cognitive-enhancing and entertaining attributes. • Students believe that mind and intelligence games contribute to the improvement of their academic achievements, promote classroom engagement, and facilitate rapid response to queries. • The prevalence of various mind and intelligence games, including paper-pencil and box games, within BILSEM supports the notion that emphasis is placed on these types of games. • It is inferred that students engage in mind and intelligence games not only within the context of BILSEM but also in diverse social environments outside of it. • Pleasure derived from mind and intelligence games by students is believed to stem from their ability to foster cognitive development (e.g., attention, visual intelligence, rapid learning) and their entertaining nature (e.g., competition-based elements, appealing visual and material components). • The strategies devised for mind and intelligence games are considered to be congruent with the inherent nature of these games. • Mind and intelligence games are perceived to enhance not only cognitive abilities such as visual intelligence, attention, rapid thinking, pattern recognition, strategic thinking, problem-solving, creative thinking, and decision-making but also affective skills such as self-confidence, patience, and respect among students. • Mind and intelligence games are presumed to engender significant transformations in students' behavior within the school, home, and community settings. • Students are believed to experiment with different approaches to enhance their proficiency in mind and intelligence games. Keywords: Game, Mind and Intelligence Games, BİLSEM.