Game means having fun, passing the time; it is an activity through which we learn and acquire new skills, improve them, and expand our knowledge. Didactic games must be very well made in order to bring about advancement in knowledge. The didactic game must be set up in a way that it motivates us, attracts us, and that we have fun while playing. Didactic games require the player to be active and inventive; they also strengthen cooperation, mutual help, and relationships between participants. Despite the increase in research on the topic of didactic games, we found a deficit of such games in the third triennium of primary school.
Therefore, we decided to create three quality didactic games on the topic of light and color in the subject of natural sciences in the 7th grade, and on the topic of light in the subject of physics in the 8th grade. The developed didactic games were tested in two sections of the 7th and two sections of the 8th grade. The study involved 85 7th-grade and 8th-grade students. We excluded 8 students from the data analysis because they had missed at least one activity. Data was collected through tests, questionnaires, and observation forms. Before and after implementing the method of didactic games, students took tests. This gave us an insight into their knowledge. The last test was taken one week after the lesson with didactic games, and so we got an insight into the permanently acquired knowledge. We also prepared questionnaires, which gathered opinions on individual didactic games and possible improvements. We observed the course of the games with pre-prepared observation forms and gained insight into the adequacy of didactic games. The purpose of the tests, questionnaires and assessment forms was to evaluate and assess the developed didactic games, and to improve them based on the results.
The results of the research show that the method of didactic games is also suitable for teaching in the third triennium of primary school. The developed didactic games did not fully achieve the expected result in the acquisition of new learning content, but we believe that they are nevertheless suitable for teaching the topic of light. Despite the fact that the didactic games proved to need further optimization, we found that students like this way of learning and consolidating the content, and that it is a motivational tool that increases situational interest in the subject.
The results of the master's thesis will help teachers gain a better insight into the making of didactic games and into their essential elements, which must be taken into account when creating a didactic game.
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