The effect of gamification approach on attitude and academic success in reading and writing skills of Turkish course

The reasons such as shyness, low perception, unwillingness, learning disability, low academic success, prejudices against courses make teaching processes difficult. In order to overcome these problems, many approaches, methods and techniques have been experienced. One of these is gamification approach, which is subjected in this study. In this study investigating the effect of gamification approach on attitude and academic success in reading and writing skills of Turkish course, Concurrent Triangulation Design from mixed methods was administered. The participants of this research were 63 students, attending in the third grade of a state primary school in the region of Central Black Sea. While 33 of these students were assigned to experimental group, 30 of them were included in control group. The data collection tools were the attitude scale towards Turkish course, reading and written expression, achievement test, gradual observation form and interview form. While a gamified teaching procedure was administered to the students in the experimental group by the researcher for 10 weeks, the control groups were taught in the present teaching process. The students in the experimental and control groups answered the data collection tools before and after the administration. All statistical processes were carried out in SPSS 23 data analysis program. In the analysis of structured observation form, one of the qualitative data gathering tools, each administration week was evaluated in itself and related scores were obtained. Later on, these were supported by observation notes and finally reported. The data obtained in the focus group interviews were coded as S1, S2, and were reported before and after the administration. It was found out at the end of the study that the attitudes of students towards the Turkish course, reading and writing skills changed, and their academic success in the Turkish course increased by means of the gamification approach. It was also observed that it contributed to peer interaction and in-classroom communication through group studies. It was suggested for teachers and researchers to conduct pilot study before gamification administrations, to identify students' profiles properly and to make designs accordingly. It was stated that the designs supported with technology and carried out in parallel with the curriculum would be more efficient. Based on this study, it was underlined that longer, more comprehensive and experimental administrations to be carried out in different branches would be effective in terms of observing the conclusion in practice rather than diversity and theoretical knowledge in the literature.