Effects of earthquake education via three-dimensional earthquake game on primary school students' academic achievement, motivation, and views

The purpose of this study is to analyze the effects of a three-dimensional computer game, which is developed to teach primary school students the information about preparation for earthquake and protection from it, on the students' academic achievement and motivation and to determine their views on the concerned education. In the study in which the descriptive consecutive pattern among mixed research methods is used, semi-experimental model with pretest-posttest control group has been used. The sample of the study selected with the methods of purposive sampling consists of fourth grade students having education in four primary schools. Of the 401 students participating in the study, 294 students form the experimental group, and 107 students form the control group. Experiment groups are composed of students in three different groups including the students who are trained by playing a three-dimensional earthquake game developed by the researcher, those who are trained by playing earthquake games ready in the field and trained by earthquake drill in which applied activities have taken place. The control group is composed of the students who are trained in preparation for earthquake and protection from it by traditional method. In the study, quantitative data is composed of the data obtained by the "Achievement Scale of Attitudes toward the Course" to determine academic achievement test and motivation and as for qualitative data, it consists of data obtained from the semi-structured interview guide developed by the researcher. According to the results obtained from the research, it was seen that there were statistically significant differences among groups in terms of academic achievement and motivation. The most successful group in terms of academic success was the one participating the earthquake drill in which applied activities took place. The group in which the students playing the developed three-dimensional game participated took the second place in terms of academic success. Although the students in the control group were much more motivated towards the lesson, they were identified as the group with a lower average from the aspect of academic achievement. The students advocated that the information they got as a general the concerned education would be useful.