The Impact of Students’ Attitudes and Learning Activities on the Chess Academic Achievemnts in Primary Schools

Abstract

The purpose of the current research is to reveal the mechanisms of the influence of teaching and learning strategies and students’ motivation on the chess knowledge in elementary schools. The sample of the study consists of 476 pupils from 42 schools, 476 parents, 42 teachers. The survey was conducted by random sampling with the participation of all regions of the Republic of Armenia, including the capital Yerevan. During the research, the following methods and tools of quantitative and qualitative research have been applied: questionnaire, test, action research. The results of the study demonstrate that developing new strategies by combining game playing and solving chess problems will stimulate students' learning interests and increase chess knowledge and skills. The positive attitudes towards the subject prevails, as well as the indicators of the students' self-determination manifestation. The solution of complex tasks by the students is more related to internal effort and abilities, allocating less attention to the success factor, as in the instance of a game of chess. On the other hand, considering the subject as complex has a negative effect on the results of the chess knowledge test.