Investigating factors affecting conceptual learning progression when playing digital game-based inquiry learning for energy education

Abstract

One of the challenges of promoting students constructing knowledge on abstract topic as energy is helping them make the relationship between the theoretical-world and their life outside the classroom, through inquiry of the elements of energy consumption by daily used household electrical appliances in the digital game. Factors that increase students’ conceptual learning progression in the digital game-based inquiry learning are challenged to be investigated. In this study, factors of Enjoyment, Inquiry, and Intention to Use were selected as important attitudes in learning game and promoting conceptual learning progression. To verify the effectiveness of the game, sixty-six secondary school students participated in the digital game-based inquiry learning for energy education. The results showed that the game impacted moderately on improving the students’ conceptual understanding progression on energy consumption topic, students ’ inquiry of the game has a significant relation with their learning progression, and students’ enjoyment and intention to use with the game do not significantly have a relation with their learning progression. Our results suggest that there are attitudinal factors affecting conceptual learning progression gained by the digital game-based inquiry learning.