Students' Perceptions about the Use of Educational Games as a Tool for Teaching the Periodic Table of Elements at the High School Level

The study reported here was conducted to investigate the perceptions of high school students on the use of educational games as a tool for teaching the periodic table of elements in a chemistry class in Spain. The 127 students who participated in this study came from six different classes in grade 10 (15-16 years old). The students' perceptions of the usefulness of a series of 13 specifically designed games as educational tools was assessed. This was achieved in a survey containing 13 items using a 5-point Likert-type scale, which was completed by the students at the end of the unit. The results of the study reveal that the students who participated had positive perceptions regarding the use of educational games. Students usually found the educational games to be an interesting tool to make the learning process more enjoyable. It can be observed that the students' perceptions of the games are more favorable than for other class tasks used in the control group. The opinions indicate that games also stimulated their participation in classroom activities. Moreover, educational games are considered to help students better understand some of the main concepts presented and discussed throughout the unit.