The use of Games-Based Learning at Primary Education Level Within the Curriculum for Excellence: A Combined Result of two Regional Teacher Surveys

Games-based learning (GBL) is perceived by some educationalists as a highly motivating form of supplementary learning and is now being used more widely at different levels of education to engage pupils. In Scotland a new approach to education called the Curriculum for Excellence (CfE) has been introduced in schools with a focus on the child at the centre of the learning process to achieve optimum engagement. GBL is one of the experiences and outcomes of the CfE that has gained increasing popularity; however, one of the main difficulties with the approach is that there is a dearth of empirical evidence supporting its validity. This paper presents the combined findings of two surveys carried out in Scotland, one carried out in the Renfrewshire Council area and another in the Glasgow City Council area. The surveys were intended to gauge the current implementation of GBL in primary schools and particularly focused on the use of games, game creation tools and teachers' opinions on the benefits and obstacles of GBL within the CfE. A comparison of the two surveys is performed to ascertain if there are any significant differences in teacher attitudes to GBL between these regions. Overall, the combined result shows that, in general, the implementation of this approach is still limited, despite positive attitudes of teachers towards this approach. The obstacles faced by teachers when using this approach is discussed and suggestions to overcome these are proposed. The findings will contribute to the generation of empirical evidence in the field of GBL by providing important insights into the benefits, motivations, attitudes and obstacles from the teachers' perspective.