Effect of the 5E model enriched with coding and digital game design activities on gifted students' academic achievement and problem-solving skills

Abstract

Coding and digital game design activities have been used in recent years to contribute to students' academic achievement and twenty-first century skills. This study aimed to investigate the effect of the 5E model enriched with coding and digital game design activities (5EECD) on gifted students' academic achievement and problem-solving skills. A quasi-experimental design with pre-test post-test control group was used in the research. The sample of the study consists of 80 3rd grade gifted primary school students studying at a Science and Art Center affiliated to the Ministry of National Education in T & uuml;rkiye. The study was completed in a five-week treatment period. The experimental group studied the force and motion concept with the 5EECD and the control group studied it with the proposed conventional method. Academic Achievement Test and Problem-Solving Skills Scale were used as pre and post-tests as measuring tools. The data were analyzed by descriptive and inferential statistics. The descriptive statistics results revealed that the experimental group students showed higher performances in science achievement and problem-solving skills. Inferentially, MANCOVA results showed that the 5EECD had a statistically significant effect on the collective dependent variables of the academic achievement and problem-solving skills. The ANCOVA findings also supported the above outcomes and it indicated that each of the academic achievement and problem-solving skills of experimental group was significantly higher than those of the control group. Therefore, the findings of the current research suggest that the 5EECD would be used for 3rd grade gifted students' science education.