From Play to Concentration: The Effect of Digital Educational Games on Preschool Children’s Attention Skills

Year 2025, Issue: 27, 17 - 29, 13.02.2025

Aylin Sop , Buse Hançer

https://doi.org/10.30786/jef.1459318

Cited By: 1

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to determine the effect of a digital educational game application on the attention skills of 5-6-year-old children. The research, planned with a quasi-experimental design and pretest posttest control groups, measured children's attention skills using the ‘Concentration Test for Five-Year-Old Children’ (Frankfurter Test Für Funjahrige Konzentration–FTF-K). The study used the MentalUp application, a digital educational game designed to improve the attention skills of preschool children. Sixteen different types of mini-games supporting 13 different attention skills were included in the study. A total of 40 children aged 5-6 years were divided into two groups based on gender. The preschool children were instructed to complete the application in a quiet classroom environment following a pre-posttest design. The results indicated that the digital educational game application significantly improved the children's attention skills. While there was no significant change from pre to posttest scores for the control group, the attention skills of the children in the experimental group were positively affected. The findings extend the current knowledge on attention skills in preschool children, highlighting the necessity of incorporating digital educational games into classroom practices to support attention skills at an early age. This study also provides valid evidence for the dissemination of digital educational games among preschool children.

Keywords

Preschool education, digital educational game, attention skills, concentration

Oyun Oynamaktan Odaklanmaya: Dijital Eğitsel Oyunların Okul Öncesi Çocukların Dikkat Becerilerine Etkisi

Abstract

Bu çalışmanın amacı dijital eğitsel oyun uygulamasının 5-6 yaş çocukların dikkat becerileri üzerine etkisini belirlemektir. Yarı deneysel desende ve ön test-son test kontrol gruplu olarak planlanan araştırmada çocukların dikkat becerileri “Beş Yaş Çocukların Dikkat Toplama Testi” (Frankfurter Test Für Funjahrige Konzentration–FTF-K) ile ölçülmüştür. Bu çalışmada okul öncesi çocukların dikkat becerilerini destekleyecek dijital eğitim oyunu olan MentalUp uygulaması kullanılmıştır. Okul öncesi çağındaki çocukların dikkat becerilerini geliştirmek için 13 farklı dikkat becerisini destekleyen 16 farklı türde mini oyun çalışmaya dahil edilmiştir. 5-6 yaş arası 40 çocuk cinsiyetlerine göre iki gruba ayrılmıştır. Okul öncesi çocukların önson test tasarımı doğrultusunda uygulamayı sınıfta sessiz bir ortamda tamamlamaları istenmiştir. Sonuçlar, dijital eğitsel oyun uygulamasının çocukların dikkat becerilerini önemli ölçüde geliştirdiğini göstermektedir. Kontrol grubunda yer alan çocukların öntest-sontest puanları arasında anlamlı bir değişiklik görülmezken, deney grubunda yer alan çocukların dikkat toplama becerileri olumlu etkilenmiştir. Elde edilen sonuçlar, okul öncesi çocuklarda dikkat becerileri ile ilgili mevcut bilgileri genişleterek, erken dönemde dikkat becerilerinin desteklenmesinde dijital eğitsel oyunları sınıf uygulamaları içerisine dahil etmenin gerekliliğini vurgulamaktadır. Bu çalışma aynı zamanda okul öncesi çocuklarda dijital eğitsel oyunların yaygınlaştırılması konusunda da geçerli kanıtlar sağlamaktadır.

Keywords

okul öncesi eğitim, dijital eğitici oyun, dikkat becerileri, dikkati toplama

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