Development of Multilingual Preservice Classroom Teachers’ Turkish Language Skills: Mind and Intelligence Games

Abstract

The aim of this study was to examine the effect of mind and intelligence games on the development of multilingual preservice classroom teachers’ Turkish language skills. In the study, an embedded mixed methods design, which is included in the scope of mixed research designs, was adopted. A single group pretest-posttest design within the scope of the pre-experimental designs was taken as the basis in the quantitative dimension of the research; while in the qualitative dimension, a design related to the effects of the program in the context of a special case study was taken as the basis. The study group of the research consisted of multilingual preservice classroom teachers (n=10). Videos, semi-structured interviews, a questionnaire, diaries, metaphor form, and the Foreign Language Learning Practices Scale (FLLPS) were used as data collection tools. According to the results obtained from the data collection tools, at the end of this game process, the participants’ Turkish language skills, cognitive skills (memory, attention, perception, etc.), and affective skills (socialising, feeling happy, having fun, etc.) improved. It was also observed that this development process took place on the basis of cultural interaction. In light of the findings, it was concluded that the mind and intelligence games had positive effects on the development of the multilingual preservice teachers’ language skills.