THE EFFECTIVENESS OF USING DIFFERENT TYPES OF GAMES IN THE PROCESS OF FORMING NATURAL SCIENCE CONCEPTS IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

ABSTRACT

The article describes the importance of the formation of natural science concepts in the educational process. The substantiation of the importance of studying natural science concepts in primary school through play activities is given. Experimental work is described, the most effective groups of games are noted, and an analysis of the effectiveness of the results obtained is given.

АННОТАЦИЯ

В статье описывается значение формирования естественнонаучных понятий в образовательном процессе. Приводится обоснование важности изучения естественнонаучных понятий в начальной школе посредством игровой деятельности. Описывается проведение экспериментальной работы, отмечаются наиболее эффективные группы игр, даётся анализ эффективности полученных результатов.

Keywords: primary school students, natural science education, natural science concepts, game methods.

Ключевые слова: младшие школьники, естественнонаучное образование, естественнонаучные понятия, игровые методы.

Rapid technological progress has caused a shift in the priorities of personal development of the younger generation for many years. This determined the emergence of the society’s demand for the formation of the personality of a person who has not only technical, but also natural science knowledge. Of particular relevance in modern pedagogy is the issue of increasing the attention of educational organizations to natural science education. Due to the fact that it is the period of primary school age that is most favorable for the formation of the foundations of personality, the transition of younger schoolchildren to scientific knowledge of objects and phenomena of real reality is conditioned by the assimilation of the original scientific concepts [2, p. 114].

Work in the natural science field involves, first of all, familiarity with natural science concepts. In the process of direct activity of the teacher and students, it is important to convey to younger schoolchildren that natural science concepts imply a certain content, volume, and they are also not isolated, i.e., they are connected with other concepts [3, p. 199].

The methodology of teaching in primary classes assumes to exclude the study of natural science concepts within the framework of natural science education in a random sequence [4, p. 118].

It is on how well the material is understood by children, how the relationship between man and nature was revealed, on the formation of the emotional and value attitude of younger schoolchildren to nature and society that further successful education in the framework of natural science education depends [5, p. 79].

According to the content, natural science concepts are divided into:

• geological (rocks, minerals, etc.);
• physical (body, phenomenon, object properties, etc.);
• biological (plant, bacteria, fungi, etc.);
• ecological (natural community, cultural community, nature conservation, etc.);
• etc. [1, p. 151].

In the lessons on the formation of natural science concepts, it is advisable to use a large number of different games. This is justified by the fact that the game, according to I.P. Podlasy, is the main method in personality-oriented learning [6, p. 301]. In the process of using game methods by the teacher, students learn easier and at the same time deeper the topics, blocks, sections necessary for the program. In addition, the game promotes the development of talents, abilities, personal qualities, etc.

The use of game methods, G.K. Selevko notes, unites schoolchildren with a common goal, the application of joint efforts to achieve it. Game methods suggest that children undergo experience similar experiences in the game, which remain in the student’s mind [7, p. 235].

Having studied the theoretical justification of the influence of games on the assimilation of natural science concepts, we decided to conduct a practical experiment. So, the Aidar Secondary School named after a Hero of the Soviet Union B. G. Kandybin was the basis for the study of the formation of natural science ideas about the world of primary school children. In total, 20 junior school children of the 3^rd grade took part in the experiment.

In total, we implemented three stages of the study, i.e., ascertaining, forming and control. The control and ascertaining stage included the primary and repeated diagnostics of the formation of natural science concepts about the world in elementary school students. Diagnostics was carried out using the test ‘Ecology and I’, the modified methodology ‘Unfinished theses’ by Y. A. Poleshchuk and the questionnaire ‘Minerals’. The complex of methods allowed us to reveal how well such natural science concepts are formed as ecological, biological, geological and physical.

Based on the results of the ascertaining stage (and the primary diagnostic section), we decided to develop a formative stage, the purpose of which was to create conditions for the formation of natural science concepts in the subjects. We have developed and conducted extracurricular classes on the following topics:

1) ‘Ecological problems of the Earth’ – ecological concepts are considered;

2) ‘Minerals of the Belgorod region’ – geological concepts;

3) ‘Air and water are the gold of humanity’ – physical natural science concepts;

4) ‘Food webs and chains’ – biological natural science concepts.

An important condition for the implementation of the formative stage was the use of various types of games such as desktop, business, didactic and intellectual. In the process of the formative experiment, we used:

1. board games, ‘Sort’ (familiarization and consolidation of children’s knowledge about nature conservation, namely about garbage collection and sorting); ‘Food chain’ (creation of food chains through character selection and compliance with the rules);
2. business games, ‘How to manage waste’ (within the framework of this game, children no longer just sorted garbage, the task of younger schoolchildren was to collect garbage of a certain type); ‘Ecologic’ (aimed at developing awareness among children regarding the reasonable use of natural resources);
3. didactic games, ‘Guardians of the Earth’ (saving the planet from a number of environmental disasters, namely from the exhaustion of natural resources, critical air pollution, negative climate changes, etc.); ‘Find out minerals’ (based on an interactive presentation – recognition of minerals by a number of signs); ‘Human chain’ (expansion ideas about the concepts of ‘natural community" and ‘food chain’);
4. intellectual games, ‘following in the footsteps of the Red Book’ (has the form of a multi–level crossword puzzle, aimed at familiarizing with extinct animals, as well as animals on the verge of extinction); ‘Minerals’ (working with differentiated cards to update existing knowledge on the topic); ‘Air and water are the gold of humanity’ (a lesson-game based on competition); ‘Web of life’ (visual justification of the natural science concept of ‘food web’).

After the implementation of the formative stage of the experiment, as part of the control experiment, we conducted a repeated diagnostic section. Based on Fig. 1, we will consider the effectiveness of the classes we have developed, determine the dynamics of changes.

Figure 1. Comparison of the distribution of the levels of formation of natural science concepts in younger schoolchildren at the ascertaining and control stages of the experiment

A comparative analysis of the results of the formation of natural science concepts in younger schoolchildren based on the results of two diagnostic sections allows us to note that in comparison with the ascertaining stage, the number of younger schoolchildren with a high level of formation of natural science concepts increased by 25%. At the same time, in the control experiment, the number of children with a low level of formation of natural science concepts decreased by 20%. Comparison of the control and ascertaining stages by the number of children with an average level allows us to note that there have been no significant changes (the changes are about 5%).

Consequently, the conducted research indicates the effectiveness of the use of various types of games in the formation of natural science concepts of younger schoolchildren.

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