Exploring teachers’ perspectives on using gamification in teaching science in Saudi Arabia

Abstract

This study explores utilizing gamification in teaching science at the school level in Saudi Arabia. Towards this end, a mixed-method approach, viz. parallel convergent, was adopted to collect data from a sample of teachers (n=200) via a questionnaire and an interview. The questionnaire encompassed two parts. The first part elicits information about the teachers. The second comprised 36 items making the three areas of the investigation- importance, use, and obstacles. Besides the questionnaire, six teachers were interviewed for an in-depth understanding of the findings surfaced from the questionnaire. Descriptive statistics yielded actual results, at the top of which the teachers’ favorable view of gamification in science lessons. They use gamification to a moderate degree in their teaching due to some obstacles, ranging from medium to high. The obstacles, administrative-based and teacher-related, led to reduced gamification uses. The statistical analysis of the data probed through a questionnaire identifies the variation in the informants’ responses according to their specializations, qualifications, and teaching experiences. Data elicited from the interviews reinforced such statistical findings that concluded showing no statistically significant differences between their responses at the level of significance (α≤0.05).