Repository of DUTH

Οργανώνοντας ενεργό μάθηση: (Master thesis)

Χρυσοπούλου, Παναγιώτα/ Chrysopoulou, Panagiota

The purpose of this research was to examine the effectiveness of an intervention in English language teaching using a physical activity game, compared to a traditional teaching method. The goal of both lessons was the learning of ten English adjectives. The research sample consisted of 35 first-grade students of the Music School of Komotini. The participants in the traditional teaching lesson were 19 students, while the ones in the physical activity game were 16. All participants attended a vocabulary presentation. Subsequently, during the traditional lesson, students continued with solving vocabulary exercises, while the others participated in a game used as a means of practicing and consolidating the vocabulary presented. The selected game was an adapted version of the traditional game hopscotch, enriched with three types of vocabulary questions. Data collection involved students completing a test before and after the intervention, as well as qualitative observation by the researcher. Data were analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics 27. The results of the research indicated that both teaching methods were effective in increasing students' knowledge levels, with students participating in the game performing better, although there was no statistically significant difference in their knowledge levels compared to those who participated in the traditional lesson. Similar results were found in the comparison of the participants' performance based on gender. However, a stronger motivation for participation in the educational process was observed among students who participated in the game. The findings of the research showed that playful teaching can yield similar or even better learning outcomes than a traditional method, while also serving as motivation for students to participate more actively in the learning process.