1
Heeft het spelen van online videogames invloed op de
onderwijsprestaties?
, 2
Abstract
With the advent of digitalisation, young people are increasingly playing videogames online.
Despite widespread suggestions that videogaming has a negative influence on academic
achievements, the evidence is inconclusive. In fact, more and more studies are showing
positive aspects of playing videogames. This research focuses on playing online videogames
and the educational performance of mathematics and science subjects in secondary education.
Two documents were analysed to see whether strategy, puzzle and action videogames train
similar skills as those needed in the subjects mathematic and science. Looking at the skills in
the document focused on gaming and comparing them to the other document about the core
objectives of mathematics and science, it appears that most of the same skills are evident in
both. In addition, a data set was assembled using pupils' scores in the subjects of mathematics
and science combined with questions on one-player videogames and collaborative
videogames. It turns out that playing one-player videogames has a more positive effect on the
pupils' educational performance compared to playing collaborative videogames. The general
conclusion of this research is that playing videogames requires skills that are also needed in
school subjects. Pupils should be encouraged to play videogames, especially one-player
videogames, but only to a certain extent. Too much gaming could also have a negative effect
on educational performance. This study did not consider the differences between boys and
girls, nor did it address if school-level factors such as vmbo or havo, in combination with
videogame playing, could have an influence on educational performance. Therefore, it is a
recommendation that this should be explored in detail in a follow-up study.
Heeft het spelen van online videogames invloed op de
onderwijsprestaties?
, 2
Abstract
With the advent of digitalisation, young people are increasingly playing videogames online.
Despite widespread suggestions that videogaming has a negative influence on academic
achievements, the evidence is inconclusive. In fact, more and more studies are showing
positive aspects of playing videogames. This research focuses on playing online videogames
and the educational performance of mathematics and science subjects in secondary education.
Two documents were analysed to see whether strategy, puzzle and action videogames train
similar skills as those needed in the subjects mathematic and science. Looking at the skills in
the document focused on gaming and comparing them to the other document about the core
objectives of mathematics and science, it appears that most of the same skills are evident in
both. In addition, a data set was assembled using pupils' scores in the subjects of mathematics
and science combined with questions on one-player videogames and collaborative
videogames. It turns out that playing one-player videogames has a more positive effect on the
pupils' educational performance compared to playing collaborative videogames. The general
conclusion of this research is that playing videogames requires skills that are also needed in
school subjects. Pupils should be encouraged to play videogames, especially one-player
videogames, but only to a certain extent. Too much gaming could also have a negative effect
on educational performance. This study did not consider the differences between boys and
girls, nor did it address if school-level factors such as vmbo or havo, in combination with
videogame playing, could have an influence on educational performance. Therefore, it is a
recommendation that this should be explored in detail in a follow-up study.
