The Effect of Using Educational Games on the Motivation of EFL Tenth Grade Learners

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effectiveness of educational games on the motivation which is divided to (the self-reported motivation) which is expressed by the sample of the study and (the overall class motivation) which is expressed by an external observer. The study was conducted on the tenth grade students in two high schools. This study addressed the following questions: - Does the application of educational games enhance the motivation of the tenth graders, which includes observed motivation and self-reported motivation? - Which would increase students' motivation more: educational games materials or traditional material? Are there significant differences in self-reported motivation related to gender? To achieve the objectives of the study, the sample was experimented using educational games for the experimental group and the traditional way of teaching for control group. Those two groups were posttested on the self-reported motivation that every student in the both groups filled a self-reported questionnaire in the last day of conducting the study. In addition, there was an external qualified English language teacher who observed and filled an observation sheet in every lesson in the both groups. To determine the effectiveness of the proposed way of teaching, the results of the self — reported questionnaires and the observation sheets were analyzed using the dependent T-test and the independent T-test. Then the details and results were inferred. After the statistical treatment, the researcher came up with the following results: - The self —reported motivation of the experimental group was significantly higher than that of the control group. This means that the educational games could increase significantly the self-reported motivation of the students. -The overall class motivation of the experimental group was significantly higher than that of the control group. This means that the educational games could increase significantly the overall class observed motivation. -There are no significant differences on self-reported motivation between males and females. This means that the both sexes appealed to games nearly on the same level. On the basis of this study it is recommended that: 1- Similar studies should be conducted to investigate: A- the effect of educational games on the language skills. B- the effect of computer games on students' motivation. C- the attitudes of teachers toward using educational games in their classes . D-the effect of simulation games role play and Communication games on students' speaking Skill or motivation... . 2-The Ministry of education should hold seminars to familiarize the English teachers with how to use games and to familiarize them with other motivating techniques like computer games , Internet , simulation games..... Also educational games should be integrated in the curriculum .