The Effect of Digital Games and Animations on Middle School Students Spatial Thinking Skills

The aim of this study is to examine the effects of middle school students' use of digital game and animation software on their academic achievement and spatial thinking skills and to assess students' opinions regarding the integration of digital game and animation software into lessons. The research employed an embedded design, a mixed-methods research design. The study group consisted of 54 sixth-grade students attending a middle school in Trabzon. The People, Places, and Environments Academic Achievement Test (PPEAAT) was used to measure the students' academic achievement, and the Spatial Thinking Skills Test (STST) was used to measure their spatial thinking skills. A semistructured interview form was also used to collect their opinions. Data obtained from the PPEAAT and STST were analyzed using independent samples t-tests and paired samples t-tests, and the data obtained from the semi-structured interview form was analyzed using content analysis. In light of the findings of the study, no significant difference was found between the pre-test scores of the experimental and control groups in terms of academic achievement and spatial thinking skills, while a significant difference was found between the post-test scores of the experimental and control groups in terms of relevant variables in favor of the experimental group. Based on this result, it was concluded that the use of digital game and animation software has a positive impact on students' academic achievement and spatial thinking skills compared to the current curriculum. Furthermore, students generally have positive views of these digital tools.