Abstract
Widespread use of digital games among elementary school children has attracted significant research attention. This study aimed to investigate the perceived social and cognitive skills developed through digital games, according to children’s beliefs. Data were collected using a questionnaire based on previous research and enriched with additional questions. The questionnaire consisted of 19 Likert scale questions, measuring various aspects of cognitive and social skills and 537 students participated.
The research employed inductive analyses to examine differences among sub-groups of students based on demographic characteristics. T-Test and ANOVA tests were utilized to compare groups. Factor analysis was performed to determine variable correlations. Findings indicated that students believed that digital games enhanced their cognitive skills, among others problem-solving, decision making. Additionally, students reported that games facilitated the development of social skills such as collaboration, competitiveness and empathy.
This research contributes to the existing literature by focusing specifically on elementary school children’s perspectives, a relatively understudied area in digital game research. Given the popularity of digital games, further research, focusing on a diversity sample, is needed, in order to comprehend the influence of digital games in children’s development.