A Pre-Service Teacher Training Programme about Video Games: Perceptions of Knowledge about PEGI

Abstract

Video games are a common form of entertainment, but they can also be a useful learning resource. To implement video games effectively, it is important to make good video game selections and to consider certain criteria. One of these criteria is the video game content rating system: in Europe, the Pan European Game Information system (PEGI). We focus on this topic as one of the content and activity areas of a teacher training programme about video games and education for pre-service primary school teachers. In this paper, we explore the pre-service primary school teachers' perceptions of their knowledge about the PEGI rating system before and after the training programme, considering, on one hand, the complete sample and, on the other, the participants' gender and prior training in video games as an educational resource. Furthermore, we determine whether there were statistical differences in the teachers' perceptions of knowledge about PEGI before and after the training programme: that is, between the pretest and the posttest. The results indicate differences between before and after the training programme, showing that the teacher training programme and its activities increased the participants' perceptions of knowledge about PEGI. Thus, we can say that the programme was successful in this respect. Finally, we present some limitations of the study that should be considered in further research.