Abstract:

Games are no longer played just ‘for fun’, rather, they are seen as learning tools that can capture students’ interest and keep their attention. As a result, educators have been experimenting with these virtual environments to examine their place in the K-12 classroom. This study sought to examine both pre-and in-service teachers’ perceptions of gaming in the classroom environment.  Based on the literature review an 18-question Likert-scale survey was developed to coincide with traits of gaming on student learning and classroom use. 98 participants (53 In-service and 45 Pre-service teachers) completed the survey and four open-ended questions. Findings from this study revealed that both pre- and in-service teachers felt that gaming is a good use of technology for enhancing learning and motivating students. However, only around half of the participants indicated that they have or intend to use gaming in their teaching. Nevertheless, a majority of both pre- and in-service teachers felt that gaming in the classroom would grow in the next 5 years. It is our hope that results of this study will help fill a gap in the literature on gaming in the K-12 environment.