Design and evaluation of didactic games in teaching thematic sets on substances and light in science and tehnology among year 4 primary school pupils

Topics substance and light are science contents which children start to learn in kindergarten. They continue in primary school at subject Environment education in first triad and afterwards the topics are repeated and upgraded in the second triad in 4th and 5th class at subject Science and Technology. For teaching Science teacher needs to encourage pupils, that they become curious as much as possible, encourage their interest and interest in the content. It is expected for teacher to organize lessons in the most interesting, varied and active way. For this purpose teacher can use different methods and forms of work in class. One of the most interesting and variegated methods of teaching is a method of didactic game. Didactic game motivates, increases the interest and challenges greater attention. Learning through play is especially more interesting and fun. The designing of didactic games is a time-demanding process for a teacher, this is why I decided to design and evaluate some didactic games in the course of my master's work, which I believe will be helpful for teachers to prepare lesson with a method of didactic games. The main goal of this master’s work is to design and create three complex didactic games on topic substance and light. The next goal is to supplement and improve designed didactic games based on the analysis information collected during observation with participation, information from questionnaires and records of pupils suggestions about changes and improvements. Research questions of master's work are: 1) are designed games suitable for teaching light and substance in the 4th grade of primary school; 2) how pupils rate working material and tools of each didactic games before and after improvements; 3) what is the motivation of pupils for playing before and after supplements and improvements of three didactic games. In the research participated 26 pupils from the 4th grade from the chosen city elementary school. In the study were used qualitative research techniques. Information was collected with questionnaire, observation with participation and records of pupils. The results showed that the designed didactic games are suitable for teaching light and substance in the 4th grade of primary school in the stage of repeating and consolidating. Pupils evaluate working material and tools of individual didactic games the same before and after improvements. We did not notice difference in students' motivation for playing before and after the supplements and improvements didactic games