Comparison of the digital game, drills, and traditional education methods in terms of motivation in earthquake education

This research aims to investigate the impact of three different training methods (digital game, drill, and traditional education) on the motivation of the students to teach earthquake preparedness and earthquake prevention knowledge to primary school students. The explanatory design from the mixed-methods research was used in the study. The sample of the study consists of 294 students at the fourth-grade level in three different elementary schools in one of Turkey’s easternmost provinces. At the end of different educational methods, the motivation scale about the course was used to determine the motivations of the students. Focus group interviews were conducted with students randomly selected from each study group to examine in depth the reasons for the differentiation of motivation levels of the students. The findings showed that students who participated in the traditional education method were more motivated than the other methods of teaching. Besides, students who study with the digital game were found to be less motivated. In this study, the limitations and advantages of educational methods in terms of motivation were examined in-depth, and the reasons affecting motivation were discussed. The results can provide important insights to educators, educational game designers, and educational politicians.