Year

2023

Season

Fall

Paper Type

Doctoral Dissertation

College

College of Education and Human Services

Degree Name

Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership (EdD)

Department

Leadership, School Counseling & Sport Management

NACO controlled Corporate Body

University of North Florida. Department of Leadership, School Counseling & Sports Management

First Advisor

Dr. Terrie Galanti

Second Advisor

Dr. Diane Yendol-Hoppey

Third Advisor

Dr. Daniel Dinsmore

Fourth Advisor

Dr. Ke Fengfeng

Department Chair

Dr. David Hoppey

College Dean

Dr. Jennifer Kane

Abstract

This study aims to explore the key insights teachers garner from a research-based Digital Game-Based Learning (DGBL) professional development (PD) workshop and how their garnered insights shape their behavioral intentions to use DGBL in their future teaching practices. By gaining a deeper understanding of these areas, this study aims to enhance the effectiveness of professional development workshops for DGBL, and in turn, improve DGBL implementation in the classroom setting.

DGBL, which integrates digital games into education, has gained attention for its potential to engage and motivate students while enhancing learning outcomes. However, limited focus on DGBL professional development has led to reluctance or informal methods of DGBL incorporation, hindering its effective implementation and widespread adoption in educational settings. The proposed qualitative study adopts an exploratory multiple case study design to gain comprehensive understanding of the phenomenon. The sample includes four teachers from a summer camp program in Florida and Georgia. Teacher reflections, researcher memos, in-depth interviews, and direct observations were analyzed to understand teachers' key insights gleaned from the DGBL PD and their behavioral intentions related to DGBL implementation. The researcher used multiple rounds of coding, followed by a cross-case analysis to identify overarching themes across cases.

This study’s main key findings were on the value teachers found in hands-on experience, the potential of DGBL as an instrumental tool in coding instruction, educators’ inclination to implement DGBL to teach coding selectively, and educators’ inability to see themselves integrating DGBL to teach coding into their instructional roadmap. Rather, they viewed coding using DGBL as a supplementary activity rather than an integral component of the curriculum.

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