On the Use of Instructional Games in Moroccan High Schools: Motives and Barriers

Background The use of instructional games in foreign language classrooms has a lot of potential. This potential helped pushing the spread of game use, but it was faced with a lot of barriers. Purpose The current study intended to investigate the factors behind the use/nonuse of instructional games by Moroccan high school teachers. Methods This study adopted a mixed methods approach, which was typified in a sequential explanatory design. Data was collected from 215 students and 10 teachers in Allal Loudyi High School in Fes, Morocco, using questionnaire, interview, observation schedule, and focus group. Results The findings disclosed that students reported that instructional games should be used because they motivated them, helped them enjoy learning, and fostered their critical thinking skills. The large number of learners in the classrooms and lack of enough equipment were found to be two major obstacles, in addition to other minor challenges, that prevent Moroccan high school teachers from using instructional games in the classroom. Discussion Crosslinguistic studies confirmed the potential motives and barriers highlighted in the current study. Conclusion The results had direct implications for Moroccan EFL teachers, stakeholders, and students. The implications were discussed at the end of this article.