Teachers’ and students’ beliefs and reported practices concerning the use of digital games in the English subject A study in VG1 after the implementation of the LK20 English subject curriculum

Abstract The current thesis aimed to explore Norwegian VG1 teachers’ and students’ beliefs concerning the use of digital games in the English subject in light of the newly implemented LK20 English subject curriculum. In addition, it aimed to investigate which digital games Vg1 ESL teachers report that they use and why. This study investigated the teachers’ reported practices when it comes to digital games and how they use them. Finally, this thesis also aimed to examine if there are any differences in beliefs and practices between teachers’ and learners’ beliefs concerning the use of digital games in the English subject. The study used a mixed-method research design to gather the data, including teacher interviews and a student questionnaire. Six Vg1 English teachers from six separate Norwegian upper secondary schools were interviewed to investigate teachers’ beliefs and their reported practices. In addition, 104 VG1 students participated in a questionnaire in order to gain a perspective of the student's beliefs. The findings demonstrated an overall positive concerning the use of digital games in the English subject. Both teachers and the students reported that digital games have benefits when used within the English subject. While some teachers had used digital games as a substitute for a novel, other teachers reported that they had used digital games to increase oral activity and motivation for the English subject. Although the study found overall positive beliefs concerning the use of digital games in the English subject, some challenges were also addressed by the teachers and learners. The two main reported challenges are that the students believe they learn more English playing digital games at home compared to at school and the teachers’ differences in reported practices. The present study contributes to the field of L2 English to gain a better understanding of teachers’ and students’ beliefs concerning the use of digital games in the English subject. It contributes to the new field by exploring from both the teachers’ and students’ perspectives. The main teaching implications proposed by the findings of this study concern how digital games are being used in ESL learning. There seems to be confusion among teachers concerning the best way of using digital games for ESL learning after implementing LK20. A framework for more cohesive teaching practices and increased teacher training is recommended. Further studies are also recommended to gain knowledge about this important topic and how the teachers can benefit more from the extramural English activities that their students participate in at home when in school