Games: An Educational Technology Instructional Media toward Effective Teaching and Learning in Ekiti State Secondary Schools

This study investigated games as an educational technology instructional media towards effective teaching and learning in Ekiti State Secondary Schools. Descriptive research design of the survey type was employed. The population of the study was 250 students in senior secondary schools in Ekiti State, using multistage sampling techniques. A self-design questionnaire title “Students Educational Games Questionnaire SEGQ†contain three section was used to elicit information from the respondents which consist 25 items. Section A is to know the impact of games as an educational technology instructional media. Section B is for students’ attitude toward games as an educational technology instructional media. Section C is Educational Technology Instructional Media Performance Test (ETIMPT). Both face and content validity were satisfied by experts after the construction of the instrument. A test-retest method was used through the administration of the instrument to 20 respondents outside the sample within 2 weeks to obtained reliability coefficient 0.86. The data obtained through the research questions were analysed using frequency count and percentage. The result of the study indicated that games as an educational technology instructional media has great impact on students’ performance and produced effective teaching and learning in secondary schools in Ekiti State. It also indicated positive attitude of students toward games as an educational technology instructional media which motivated the students to study well. It further show that games as an educational technology instructional media enable students to be creative, innovation, initiative, problem-solver and have deep knowledge about content of the subject matter. Specifically, the study sought to: – investigate the impact of games as an educational technology instructional media to teaching and learning; determine whether there will be any improvement in the student’s academic performance with the use of educational technology instructional media and examine students’ attitude toward games as an educational technology instructional media during teaching and learning activities. The findings of this study will be of immense benefit to students, teachers, parents, school administrators, curriculum planners, society and prospective researchers. It was concluded that educational technology instructional media make use all available resources (human and non-human) in the environment to facilitate teaching and learning, innovative strategies like games is rich sources of knowledge to teach tolerance, reality of life, behaviour modification and role modelling unconsciously. Implement the concept of gaming in to education has a lots of opportunities and many types of games that could be make use during teaching and learning process which include problem solving, jigsaw puzzle, simulation, Brain Teasers, Sliding puzzle and tutorials based games. It was recommended that, if games are encouraged, it relaxes, stimulates and enhances learning without stress in a humorous way. It was also recommended that teacher should make use of games to liven up teaching and learning process. Also, students should be guided towards the use and types of games to involve in and time of playing such games should be monitor in order not to abuse the opportunity of playing games. More so, parents should encourage their wards to engage in playing educational games to bring reality to teaching and learning process