Abstract

This study is a descriptive study based on the screening model, and was conducted in order to inquire the effect of games and the relation between gender and class success variables and game preferences in primary school students. The universe of the study was the primary schools in city center in Province of Burdur and the sample group of the study was composed of students attending the 6, 7 and 8th grades of primary schools. In the study, data were obtained through written materials and a questionnaire which was specifically developed for the study. After intelligibility, validity and reliability of the questionnaire was ensured, the questionnaire was applied to the sample group by a random sampling method. Questionnaires of 605 students (318 males and 287 females) who fully completed the questionnaire were taken into evaluation. Data obtained were analyzed with proper statistical software on computer environment. As the statistical process, frequency (f), percentage (%) and cross-tables (Croostab) were used, whereas X²(square X) process was carried out to determine the differences among variables. The statistical data revealed that there were significant differences in the computer games played by participating students, their class success and parents’ attitudes vis-à-vis the games played (P<0.05). As a conclusion, we can suggest that there were differences in the types of the games played by the participating students; concerning the gender differences, males mostly played action and fighting games whereas females preferred mind games; they played these games at home, at internet cafes and at the computer lab in school; females often played these games at home or at school while males played computer games at home or at a internet café; males spent 1 to 2 h a day whereas females spent 1 to 2 h a week in playing games; concerning the age differences, those at age of 12 to 13 preferred playing mind games more than 14 to 15 year old students who mostly play sports, action or fighting games. There was a parallelism between game-playing frequency and having access to the Internet at home, those who have access to the Internet in their homes played 1 to 2 h a day while those without the Internet at home played computer games only for 1 to 2 h a week; those who spent less time on playing games on the Internet had a higher class success than those who spent more time on the Internet by playing games. Concerning the parents’ attitude vis-à-vis children’s playing games on the Internet – parents’ mostly keep indifferent; and concerning the gender difference, we can say that parents of males are against the Internet games more than parents of females are.

Key words: Primary school, student, computer games, class success, parents, attitude.