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Young videogamers and their approach to science inquiry

Author

Listed:
  • Francesco Avvisati

    (OECD)

  • Francesca Borgonovi

    (UCL Social Research Institute, University College London & OECD)

Abstract

In 2018, about one in three (33%) 15-year-olds, on average across 52 high- and middle-income countries, played videogames every day or almost every day. Among boys, that proportion was close to one in two (49%). Many popular videogames among teenagers encourage inductive discovery as an effective problem-solving strategy. Written instructions seldom need to be read. By contrast, gaming often involves early information foraging and expansive exploration behaviors. In this paper, we use data from the 2018 wave of the Programme for International Student Assessment to explore whether students who regularly play video-games (gamers) adopt behaviors that are typical of gaming while they complete a computer-based assessment of science. The assessment included interactive items designed to identify procedural science knowledge as well as static items designed to identify science content knowledge. We find that gamers do not differ from other students in science content knowledge and in reading fluency, a measure of how fast they read. Compared to other students, gamers spend less time reading instructions and display more active exploration behaviors in the assessment on items that include simulation tools. We examine differences in associations by country and by sex. We discuss the implications for education practice and for the design of computer-based assessments.

Suggested Citation

  • Francesco Avvisati & Francesca Borgonovi, 2021. "Young videogamers and their approach to science inquiry," DoQSS Working Papers 21-05, Quantitative Social Science - UCL Social Research Institute, University College London.
    • Handle: RePEc:qss:dqsswp:2105
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    JEL classification:

    • I20 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - General
    • I24 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Education and Inequality
    • I26 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Returns to Education

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