Using Instructional Games to Increase Student Learning and Enjoyment in a High School Government Class By Ray Dawood A Masters Project For ED 7999 Submitted to the Office of Graduate Studies Graduate Division of Wayne State University Detroit Michigan In Fulfillment of the Requirements For the degree of Master of Arts in Teaching December 2006 Major Social Studies Education Approved By Bob Pettapiece Date 1 Table Of Contents Page Chapter One Introduction to the Project The Situation Purpose of the Study Significance of Project 1 3 3 Chapter Two Review of Related Literature Introduction Traditional Education vs Non Traditional Education Researchers on Different Motivational Strategies Theorists on Different Motivational Strategies Summary 4 4 6 6 7 Chapter Three Methodology of the Study Introduction Hypothesis 1 Hypothesis 2 Population Description of the Project Data Collection Summary 9 9 9 9 11 12 13 Chapter Four Findings of the Study Introduction Hypothesis 1 Results Hypothesis 2 Results Summary 14 15 16 17 Chapter Five Conclusions Recommendations and Personal Observations Introduction Conclusions Recommendations Personal Observations Summary 18 18 18 19 21 References Appendix 2 Chapter One Introduction to the Project The SituationTeachers have been given an opportunity to positively affect and shape the lives of young people However at the same time teachers are faced with an ever growing challenge to educate students and to do it in a way that keeps them interested and excited about learning Teaching social studies is not exempt from this challenge The above statement may even be more true for social studies than any other subject Unlike other subjects social studies teaches about the past and at the same time it tries to prepare our youth for the responsibility of becoming well informed and active citizens According to the mission statement for the National Council for Social Studies NCSS Social studies educators teaches students the content knowledge intellectual skills and civic values necessary for fulfilling the duties of citizenship in a participatory democracy 2005 pg 1 Can the teaching of social studies especially history and government accomplish these goals while at the same time providing enjoyment and relevance to them Traditionally high school government teachers have relied on lectures and textbooks High school teachers stand and lecture expecting the students to take notes and read the chapters then distribute tests based on that information Historically social studies has ranked as the least liked subjects by students in all grades Shaughnessy 1985 James Loewen states High school students hate history 1995 p 12 More than likely the dislike for the subject is due to the traditional 3 instructional techniques of lectures and textbook based instruction Research has shown that these negative attitudes increase as students move through school Fraser 1981 Therefore it is more important than ever to incorporate different motivation and teaching strategies to help increase students knowledge involvement and enjoyment in government class In order to prepare students to reach the goals set forth by NCSS to become well informed well educated problem solvers that will positively contribute to society social studies teachers need to incorporate a variety of teaching strategies Furthermore with the existence of standardized tests the state and other governmental agencies are pressuring social studies teachers as well as students to achieve higher test scores Due to no child left behind government teachers can no longer solely rely on techniques of the past such as lectures and note taking In Michigan a test MEAP is given throughout the state at various grade levels It is used to judge the performance of students at given intervals using the content standards prescribed by state educators The students results are judged and reported against a set performance standard to see if the student s meet expectations on recommended state curriculum MEAP 2006 Educators today must find and incorporate different strategies in the presentation of information so that students will be able to retain and apply their knowledge Purpose of the StudyThe purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of playing educational based games in a government class These games utilize a variety of motivational strategies and were used to try to increase knowledge and understanding of the 4 material while at the same time increasing students enjoyment The study was conducted in two ninth grade government classes It is proposed that using different strategies may lead to increased student learning and classroom enjoyment based on test scores and classroom surveys Significance of ProjectThe results of this study may be of importance to all educators It will provide insight into whether or not non traditional teaching techniques such as playing games and making projects will contribute to better test scores and overall satisfaction of the subject by students than traditional teaching techniques By teaching students in multiple ways they may enjoy their social studies classes by being challenged academically and socially 5 Chapter Two Review of the Related Literature IntroductionFor years now research has been done to show the effectiveness of different teaching strategies Hands on or active learning is one of those strategies Active learning gives students an opportunity to take a more interactive role with the subject matter It requires students to get involved rather than just sitting and listening Active learning allows the students to take part in their education through a number of games and activities Felder 2003 Social studies teachers are constantly looking for new methods to assist them in reaching their students in ways that are most beneficial These active learning methods of reaching students are non traditional Some nontraditional teaching strategies include cooperative learning presentations role playing video instruction and game playing Schug Todd and Berry 1984 have reported that students expressed a desire to take part in strategies in which they were more actively involved in the learning process Traditional Education versus Non Traditional EducationFraser 1981 believes that traditional education has been the gold standard for centuries Studies have shown that little has changed in the way that history has been taught In traditional education the classroom setting is more structured