Date of Award

12-1980

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science in Education

Department

Education

First Advisor

Daniel J. Rocchio

Second Advisor

Jeanne M. Donovan

Abstract

The proposed study would be conducted with fifty to sixty rural, male and female students enrolled in ninth grade language arts classes to determine whether the use of games bas a greater effect on achievement and motivation, than the use of the traditional techniques of lecture and discussion. A modification of the nonequivalent control group design is intended for use which two intact classrooms to test the two hypotheses. The effects of the treatment would be measured by a twenty item achievement test adapted from two other standardized achievement tests and one criterion-referenced test. It would also be assessed by a twenty item, Likert-type attitude scale adapted for language arts . Results would be obtained by comparing the scores of the test for the experimental and control groups , using an independent T-test, followed by doing the same with the results of the attitude scale.

The research on which the proposed study is based includes a discussion of the theories and recent studies regarding motivation, achievement and the use of games . Theories of adolescent needs, drives, psychological and acquired motives are presented and related to other theories and motivational studies that concern the educational treatment of adolescents. Likewise , the theories and studies are related to additional studies on the use of games, which further indicate (intellectually and motivationally ) the potential success of gaming with adolescents. Guidelines and suggestions

Included in

Education Commons

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