Game-based Student Response System: Its Effect on Students' Attitude in Biology

Abstract

INTRODUCTION

Student Response System (SRS) is a computer software and mobile application that is used by both teachers and students as a form of formative assessment. One form of SRS that is used specifically for gaming purposes is a game-based student response system (GSRS).

METHODS

A quasi-experimental design was used in the study to determine the effect of using GSRS on students' attitudein Biology. An attitudinal survey that consists of 31 Likert-scale instruments was adopted to measure the attitude of students towards Biology. Eighty-one (81) students from the two Grade 8 Biology classes participated in the study. Two groups were classified into traditional group with forty-one (41) students whose academic performance was assessed using conventional formative assessment; and GSRS-mediated group with forty (40) students was assessed based on their academic performance using mobile devices.

RESULTS

The result of the study showed that the overall attitude of the GSRS-mediated group (xÌ... = 3.620) and the traditional group (xÌ... = 3.409) had a significant difference with a p-value of p = 0.007 at 0.05 level of significance in favor of the GSRS-mediated group. In addition, the gain score of the GSRS-mediated group (xÌ... = 0.253) and the traditional group (xÌ... = 0.178) had a significant difference with a p-value of p = 0.039 at 0.05 level of significance in favor of the GSRS-mediated group.

DISCUSSIONS

The data showed that the GSRS-mediated group has higher mean value in the posttest attitude and attitude gain score than the traditional group. These mean values revealed that there is a significant difference in the attitudes of the two groups. Hence, the utilization of game-based student response system significantly affects the students' attitude towards learning Biology.