AN EXAMINATION OF TEACHER EXPERIENCES USING EDUCATIONAL DIGITAL GAMING IN THE CLASSROOM

Open Access
- Author:
- Petner, Michael Francis
- Graduate Program:
- Learning, Design, and Technology
- Degree:
- Doctor of Philosophy
- Document Type:
- Dissertation
- Date of Defense:
- April 12, 2018
- Committee Members:
- Susan Mary Land, Dissertation Advisor/Co-Advisor
Susan Mary Land, Committee Chair/Co-Chair
Wei-Fan Chen, Committee Member
Gabriela T. Richard, Committee Member
Edgar Paul Yoder, Outside Member - Keywords:
- phenomenology
teacher experiences
educational digital games
video games - Abstract:
- This dissertation is a qualitative research investigation that explores the educational experiences and perceptions of public school teachers (K-8) as they relate to the usage of educational video games in their classrooms. To shed light on the phenomenon, the study focused on providing in-depth descriptions of public school teacher narratives of their educational game-based experiences and what they perceive as values and limitations. Phenomenological research methods based on the works of van Manen (1997) and Moustakas (1994) were used to collect and analyze the data. Data collection was undertaken primarily through in-depth, semi-structured interviews. The interviews of fifteen public school teachers describing their experiences and perceptions of educational video game usage were audio and video recorded until a point of saturation. Findings reveal teachers’ experiences with educational video games, including the types of educational video games used, notably: 1.) Kahoot, 2.) IXL, and 3.) Quizlet. In addition, key themes arose from the interview data. These themes detail challenges teachers faced to use video games and include: 1.) Allocation and Lifespan of Devices, Limitations of Resources, and Lack of Funding; 2.) The Struggle for Time; and 3.) Video Games Disrupting the Managed Classroom. The findings of this study highlight the inherent complexities of educational video game usage, performance gaps, and bridges. In this context, performance gaps are obstacles that pose challenges for game-using teachers. For example, if the bandwidth is strained from too many teachers on the server, this would qualify as a gap that interferes with the teacher's ability to use games as intended; thus, a performance gap. The bridges teachers build are described as methods or techniques participants have employed to resolve or work-around said gaps.