Teaching environmental education, light and weather in the third grade of elementary school with didactic games

Mnoge raziskave so pokazale, da je pri poučevanju ena izmed učinkovitih metod poučevanja metoda didaktične igre. Učenci tako pridobivajo izkušnje, znanja in spretnosti. Hkrati so učenci vključeni celostno, saj razvijajo tudi socialne veščine. V našem prostoru je malo evalvacij pouka spoznavanja okolja, kjer prevladuje metoda didaktične igre. Magistrsko delo se nanaša na poučevanje treh tem v 3. razredu pri predmetu spoznavanje okolja z didaktičnimi igrami. Te teme so: vreme, svetloba in okoljska vzgoja. Pri vremenu učenci spoznavajo vremenske pojave, veter in vremensko napoved. Pri svetlobi spoznavajo lastnosti svetlobe in da svetlobo zaznavamo z vidom. Pri okoljski vzgoji se učenci soočijo z onesnaževanjem okolja in ozaveščajo, kako skrbimo za okolje. Z raziskavo smo želeli ugotoviti, kakšne so izkušnje učencev z didaktičnimi igrami pri pouku, raziskati vpliv didaktičnih iger na znanje učencev in primerjati odzive učencev na različne vrste didaktičnih iger. V magistrskem delu odgovorimo na sledeča vprašanja: 1) V kolikšni meri učenci v učni uri, v kateri prevladuje metoda didaktične igre (kviz, igra vlog, namizna igra), dosegajo kurikularne cilje pri obravnavi sledečih tem: vreme, svetloba in okoljska vzgoja2) kako se odzivi učencev in interes za učenje razlikujejo glede na vrsto didaktičnih iger (kviz, igra vlog, namizna igra)3) kakšne so izkušnje in mnenje učencev o pouku z didaktičnimi igrami. V raziskavi je sodelovalo 24 učencev 3. razreda osnovne šole. Za obravnavo vsake teme smo namenili 2 šolski uri, pri čemer je prevladovala metoda didaktične igre. V ospredju raziskave je bil kvalitativen pristop raziskovanja, ki se je prepletal s kvantitativnim. Učenci so pred in po učnih urah rešili enak preizkus znanja tipa papir-svinčnik. Preizkus znanja je vseboval 4 vprašanja za vsako temo. Med učnimi urami so bila beležena tudi opažanja o interesu in odzivih učencev na različne vrste didaktičnih iger. Podatki o izkušnjah in mnenju učencev o didaktičnih igrah so bili zbrani z anketnim vprašalnikom. Izsledki raziskave kažejo na pozitiven učinek metode didaktičnih iger pri poučevanju tem vreme, svetloba in okoljska vzgoja. Ugotovili smo, da je bilo predznanje učencev o omenjenih temah pomanjkljivo. Z uporabo didaktičnih iger je večina učencev usvojila zastavljene učne cilje. Mnenje učencev o didaktičnih igrah je v večini pozitivno. Izkazalo se je, da imajo učenci več interesa za učenje z namiznimi igrami in kvizom kot za igro vlog. Izsledkov raziskave zaradi majhnosti vzorca ne moremo posplošiti, vendar bodo lahko izhodišče razrednim učiteljem pri pripravi na obravnavo in izvedbo omenjenih tem z didaktičnimi igrami.Many studies have shown that one of the efficient methods of teaching environmental studies is the method of didactic games. With this method, the students gain experience, knowledge and skills. At the same time, they are involved comprehensively as they develop also other social skills. In our space there is not many evalution about enrolment of didactic games in the environmental education. Master’s thesis refers to the teaching three content of environmental studies in 3rd grade with the method of didactic games. These topics are light, weather and environmental education. During the weather, topic students learn about weather phenomena, wind and weather forecast. During the light topic, they are acquainted with the characteristics of light and its perception by sight. During the environmental topic they deal with the environmental pollution and care for environment at environmental education. Main goal of the research was to explore students’ experience at learning with didactic games, the influence of these games on students, and compared the students’ reactions to different kinds of didactic games. In the master’s thesis we gave the answers to the following questions: 1) to what extent students achieve curriculum goals with the prevailling method of didactic games (quiz, role play, board game) at dealing with the topics such as weather, light and environmental education2) how the reactions of students and their interests differ according to different kinds of didactic games (quiz, role play, board game)3) what are the students’ experience and opinion on learning with didactic games. The study involved 24 students of the 3rd grade of primary school. Every topic research lasted for 2 hours. The qualitative approach of research was in the foreground intertwined with the quantitative one. The students solved the same paper-pencil test before and after the lessons. The test included four questions for each topic. The notes on students’ interest and relations to different kinds of didactic games were made during the lessons. Finally, we collected the data about students’ experience and opinion on didactic games with a questionnaire. The results of the research show a positive effect of didactic game method on teaching natural science topics: weather, light, environmental education. We have found out that the students’ prior knowledge of weather, light and environmental education is inadequate. The majority of students have acquired learning objectives with the use of didactic games. The students’ opinion on didactic games was also positive in most cases. It has been proven that students show more interest in learning with board games and quiz as in learning with role play. The results of the research cannot be generalized because of the small sample sizehowever, they could be the basis for primary school teachers at preparing for dealing with mentioned topics with didactic games