The Effect of Educational Games on Students’ Academic Achievement in Science and Their Motivation Towards Science Lessons

Abstract

Educational games are teaching methods designed to create a comfortable environment for students, making learning long lasting, enjoyable, and effective. By actively engaging students in the learning process, educational games make subjects such as science more effective. This study examines the effects of educational games on the academic achievement and motivation of 5th-grade middle school students in science lessons. Science courses can often be challenging for students due to their abstract concepts. Consequently, game-based learning methods are becoming increasingly important in helping students to better understand these topics. In this study, educational games were used to teach the “Cells and Organelles” topic, and their effects on students’ academic achievement and motivation toward science were investigated. The research was conducted using a pre-test-post-test single-group experimental design and was implemented on 32 students attending a public school in Amasya during the 2025-2026 academic year. Over five weeks, students’ active participation was encouraged through various educational games. The findings indicate that game-based instruction significantly improved students’ academic achievement and positively influenced their motivation toward science. In this context, the study demonstrates that educational games are an effective method in science education, offering innovative teaching strategies for teachers and educators.

Keywords

• Science education
• educational games
• academic achievement
• motivation
• cell

Ethical Statement

The required ethics committee approval for this research was obtained by decision of the Amasya University Ethics Committee dated February 15, 2026 (number E-30640013-108.01-318053).

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