A study on student’s motivation in learning english through games at nga son high school

------ GRADUATION THESIS A STUDY ON STUDENT’S MOTIVATION IN LEARNING ENGLISH THROUGH GAMES AT NGA SON HIGH SCHOOL Student : TRAN THI LAN... This paper aims at investigating the

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GRADUATION THESIS

A STUDY ON STUDENT’S MOTIVATION IN LEARNING ENGLISH

THROUGH GAMES AT NGA SON HIGH SCHOOL

Student : TRAN THI LAN Class : K21ATCA Academic Year: 2018-2022 Student ID : 21A7510077 Advisor : DR HOANG QUOC THINH

Hanoi, May 2022

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GRADUATION THESIS

A STUDY ON STUDENT’S MOTIVATION IN LEARNING ENGLISH

THROUGH GAMES AT NGA SON HIGH SCHOOL

Student : TRAN THI LAN

DECLARATION

I would like to reassure that my graduation thesis is written by myself with the support

of the instructor I guarantee that this thesis has not been posted in any other source Wherever contributions of others are involved, every effort is made to indicate this clearly The data and all references in the thesis are cited completely Any illegal copying, violation of regulations, I take full responsibility

Ha Noi, 4th May, 2022

Signature

Tran Thi Lan

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

Throughout the writing of this dissertation I have received a great deal

of support and assistance.First and foremost, I would like to express my sincere gratitude towards the Faculty of Foreign Languages, Banking Academy for giving me the opportunity to do research

Thank you to my advertiser, Dr.Hoang Quoc Thinh Your encouraging words and thoughtful, detailed feedback have been very important to me Thank you to the interviewees, who so generously took time out of their schedules to participate in my research and make this project possible

I am grateful for my parents whose constant love and support, keep me motivated and confident My accomplishments and success are because they believed

in me Deepest thanks to my best friends, who keep me grounded, remind me of what

is important in life, and are always supportive of my adventures I am forever thankful for the unconditional love and support throughout the entire thesis process and every day

Due to time limitations and a restricted capacity of the author, this thesis might contain certain defects Therefore, I would be really open-minded and grateful for any constructive comments to enhance its quality

TABLE OF CONTENT

DECLARATION i

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT ii

TABLE OF CONTENT iii

LIST OF TABLES v

LIST OF FIGURES vi

ABSTRACT vii

CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION 1

1.1 Introduction 1

1.2 Aims of the study 3

1.3 Scope of the study 3

1.4 Significance of the study 3

1.5 Structure of the Study 4

CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW 5

2.1 Language games 5

2.1.1 Definition of language games 5

2.1.2 Types of language games 5

2.1.3 Benefits of language games 6

2.2 Student’s motivation 8

2.2.1 Definition of motivation 8

2.2.2 Self-determination theory 8

CHAPTER 3: RESEARCH METHOD 17

3.1 Research design 17

3.2 Data gather procedure 17

3.3 Population and sample description 17

3.4 Research instrument 19

3.5 Data analysis 20

3.6 Reliability and Validity 22

CHAPTER 4: FINDING AND DISCUSSION 24

4.1 Intrinsic motivation 24

4.1.1 Reliability of the measurement 24

4.1.2 Findings on Intrinsic motivation of students in learning English through games 25

4.1.3 Discussion on Intrinsic motivation of students in learning English through games 27

4.2 Extrinsic motivation 27

4.2.1 Reliability of the measurement 27

4.2.2 Findings on Extrinsic motivation of students in learning English through games 29

4.2.3 Discussion on Extrinsic motivation of students in learning English through games 34

4.3 Difficulties in learning English through games 35

4.3.1 Reliability of measurement 35

4.3.2 Findings on difficulties in learning English through games 37

4.3.3 Discussion on difficulties in learning English through games 39

CHAPTER V: CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION 39

1 Summary of findings 39

2 Recommendations 39

3 Conclusion 40

REFERENCES 42

APPENDICES 45

LIST OF TABLES

Table 1: Sample of the study 19

Table 2: Data From The Questionnaire Coding Frame 20

Table 3: Interpretation of Mean Scores 22

Table 4.1: Reliability Scale of Intrinsic Motivation 24

Table 4.5: Student’s intrinsic motivation in learning English through games 31

Table 4.6: Reliability Scale of Difficulties 35

Table 4.7: Mean score scale 37

LIST OF FIGURES

Figure 4.1: Intrinsic motivation of students in learning English through games 26 Figure 4.2: Difficulties in learning English through games 38

ABSTRACT

As interactive, multimodal, immersive, and extremely popular environments, games have received increasing interest from educators in recent years for their potential to enhance the language learning experience, both inside and outside the classroom This paper aims at investigating the effect of games students’ motivation

in English class at Nga Son high school, Thanh Hoa province and the difficulties that applying games bring to both students and teachers Questionnaire was used as the main tool to collect data After sending questionnaire, the researcher received

101 responses Quantitative data analysis method was used to provide enough data for the present study After analyzing data received from the questionnaire, the researcher figured out that most of students had positive attitude toward using games in learning English This application of games definitely helps improve the level of motivation in students In addition, students and teachers might go through lots of difficulties on teaching and learning English through games which must be solved in order to improve learning efficiency

Key words: language games, high school students, motivation, attitudes,

performance

as their second language Therefore, it is easy to see that English plays a really important role

Every nation is aware of the importance of English and Vietnam is not an exception The Vietnamese Government has implemented lots of reforms in language education, especially in English teaching methods On December 8, 2018, the Ministry of Education and Training held a seminar on "Solutions to improve the quality of teaching and learning foreign languages - especially English in the national education system" Phung (2018) said: “It is necessary to build an English-speaking community, create an environment where people like to speak English, like to read English Those who know a lot teach those who know little, not only for students, but also for adults, so that all people can learn foreign languages." He emphasized that all solutions are aimed at the ultimate goal of creating the best environment for effective foreign language teaching and learning If the young generation has good English command and information technology knowledge, many aspirations will certainly come true Therefore, in the next 20 years, when the English skill of Vietnamese students is good and information technology is strong, the education system will certainly change

In order to have effective learning and teaching demands a relaxed atmosphere where students feel happy to obtain knowledge, lots of teachers use games in their class According to Klimova (2015), learning English through games not only helps students learn better and quicker but also improves their motivation, cooperation and social skills Students, especially English as a foreign language (EFL) students, are usually very shy to speak English, and they usually only speak when they have to But if they participate in the games, they may forget language barriers and try their best to win And that's also the time when they showed their full English speaking ability

In the English textbook curriculum issued by the Ministry of Education, there are many hours allocated to enhancing students’ communication skills The final goal is the ability to use English in their lives without being burdened and pressured Using games as a method to teach English may help students both play and learn not only in class but also anywhere, at the same time practice vocabulary effectively Games attract students to participate in lessons, especially review lessons and conversations to introduce topics In addition, we can apply it in extracurricular programs, English clubs, or encourage students to practice in groups The games also train the children's judgment, creativity, decisiveness, confidence, creating a joyful and intimate atmosphere

At Nga Son high school, students live in a rural area so the economic as well

as financial condition is not really developed According to Nguyen (2013), in rural areas, most of the families are farmers or manual workers Some of the students there do not have money to buy some necessary school things, even a notebook Their parents have to work really hard or go to big cities so that they can still have a chance to come to school Another drawback of learning in rural areas is that students lack a communicative learning environment where they can apply their knowledge in class in real life contexts Therefore, if we can use games as tools to create an English speaking environment for students to practice, that would be really useful

In addition, according to Licorish et al (2018), students are sometimes bored by the traditional teaching methods Combining learning and playing games

at the same time can also erase the boredom and as a result, boost their learning efficiency In order to have a deeper understanding on students’ motivation and some difficulties they may go through, the researcher conducted the current study

which was based at Nga Son high school, Thanh Hoa Province

1.2 Aims of the study

The purpose of this study is to explore high school students’ motivation and perception of games employed in their English class Specially, drawn on Ryan and Deci (2000)’s self-determination framework, the study explore high school students’ intrinsic and extrinsic motivation toward the employment of games for learning and teaching English The study also identified difficulties that students might encounter when they took part in the games To achieve those aims, this study tries to address the following research questions:

1 To what extent are students intrinsically motivated by games employed

in their English class?

2 To what extent students are extrinsically motivated by games employed

in their English class?

3 What are the difficulties that are encountered by learners in using games

in English class?

1.3 Scope of the study

This study focused on using language games in teaching to boost student’s motivation in learning English for students at Nga Son high school, Thanh Hoa Province The scope of this research included the students in grade 10th, 11th and 12th with a total of 101 students including 60 females and 41 males at Nga Son high school Most of them come from farmer families with financial hardship

1.4 Significance of the study

Investigating the use of language games in teaching and learning English is crucial for English teachers The current study is expected to provide better insights

into how to boost student’s motivation in learning English and as a result, improve the quality of the lesson and creating a happy learning atmosphere where students can both study and play at the same time This research also focuses on 2 specific kinds of students’ motivation (i.e., extrinsic motivation and intrinsic motivation) when they join games employed in their English classes Moreover, the findings from the current research may be useful for English teachers as it details possible difficulties that children often have when they play language games Hence, teachers can find ways to solve those problems

1.5 Structure of the Study

This study consists of five chapters including this introductory one

1 Chapter I: Introduction

The goal of this study, the justification for the study, the research questions, the purposes, the scope, significance of the research; and the organization of the thesis are all explained in this chapter

2 Chapter II: Literature Review

This chapter provides an overview of the theoretical framework and the discussion of relevant previous research on the use of games in the language classroom

3 Chapter III: Research Method

This chapter explains how the research was carried out The study’s participants, context, the procedure of data collection and analyses are presented

4 Chapter IV: Findings and Discussion

This chapter present the findings drawn from the questionnaire data

5 Chapter V: Conclusion and Recommendation

This chapter summarizes the key findings and highlights the study's contributions and implications The study’s limitations and recommendations for

future research are also discussed

CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW

This chapter deeply reviews and discusses related literature on student’s motivation in learning through games The first section provides information about language games The second section, the researcher presents various definitions and types of motivation as well as reviews previous studies of other researchers

2.1 Language games

2.1.1 Definition of language games

The term “language games” refers to the models of primitive language that are invented to clarify the working of language in general Language games, for Wittgenstein, are concrete social activities that crucially involve the use of specific forms of language So it can be understood that language games are not only fun activities but also function as educational tools that help children acquire the language There is another definition for the term “language games'' according to

Mc Cabe(1992) Language games are spoken activities which are played by two or more people and these activities are repeated many times Repetition will improve their fluency and playing games helps them develop their language and thought After these games, students can express their thinking and feelings easily and clearly According to Hadfield (1990), language games also have some common characteristics as normal games with rules, goals and the ability to attract players However, language games focus more on developing language skills

2.1.2 Types of language games

According to content, language games are divided into two types The first one focuses on accuracy and the second one focuses on fluency Language games aim to help students understand and practice a specific language knowledge This type includes structure games, vocabulary games, spelling games, phonics games, number games, painting and filling games Meanwhile, games that teach communicative language practice focus on developing communication skills: listening, speaking, reading and writing In these games, learners will have to work with each other to achieve specific game goals by using the target language

According to activities in the game, Hadfield (1999) has another classification He said that: there are some games that focus on fluency or accuracy and some games focus on both The first one includes sorting, ordering or arranging games In this kind of game, players have to sort things according to their group For example, before asking students to describe an electronic tool that is useful for learning, the teacher gives each team of students some words, phrases or flashcards and asks them to arrange those things into suitable groups such as shape, color, function, brand, size, material, structure, etc

The second type is called information gap games Students will work in pairs

to find the missing information in order to complete the sentence This information can be exchanged in one direct way For instance, one person can describe an object, an animal, and the other one will have to guess, draw or write it down Or this process of exchanging information can be done in two direct ways For example, there are two different pictures but there exist some common things Therefore, the players have to find these same things as quickly as possible

Guessing games is another type of language games Players will guess the word depending on some clues which are given by their team For example, there will be 20 questions, one person will write the word on a paper, other people will ask no more than 20 questions to find the key word

There is one type of language game that is very common to practice speaking skill for students This is role play Students can perform roles in a part of a drama

or even some scenes in real life such as customers in a restaurant, employees in a business meeting, etc

In summary, researchers just name some types of games that are very common in language class Teachers can adopt and use these games in their own class to improve teaching efficiency

2.1.3 Benefits of language games

There is a Chinese quote mentioned about the benefits of learning through games: "tell me, and I'll forget Show me, and I may remember Involve me, and I'll

understand." In a good language game, you can have a chance to use the target language in various ways Hence, you can obtain that language better and quicker

Through studies, researchers believe that language games create a fun learning environment Lee (1979) suggested that language games can dispel the boredom of the classroom, instead creating a happy learning environment that increases students' interest in learning, making them always ready to attend classes According to Ersoz (2000), games are highly appreciated for their attractiveness and enjoyment In addition, in order to win a game, or to solve a problem, students must share their knowledge or opinions It is the teacher's duty to encourage all students

In a relaxed, comfortable atmosphere, learners can easily use language that they have learned and practiced before

There are lots of language games that require students to work in pairs or teams They have to support, collaborate with each other in order to achieve the highest point It is understandable that most students love getting flying colors Moreover, through these games, they will have time to revise their knowledge or acquire new things in a very motivated way

Learning through language games is a new teaching method that lets the learner be the center In order to reach this goal, it is necessary for each individual

to communicate and discuss their opinion with each other Therefore, players have

to use the language that they have learned to erase the language barrier so that they can complete their task in the game Moreover, the relationship between teachers and students as well as among students will then be closer

In these language games, it is required that each student must express their opinion or discuss with their partner or their team to find the solution Therefore, they will be more confident and not afraid to use the language Besides, teachers here do not have to control all activity in class According to Rixon (1981), the main role of a teacher is to provide information or knowledge about new vocabularies, grammars or help students have a deeper understanding about the existing problems

Games are also considered as a tool for classroom control According to Hallowell (1989), language games increase learning motivation for students to a greater extent than with regular textbooks, or other learning materials

2.2 Student’s motivation

2.2.1 Definition of motivation

It is believed that motivation is an important element affecting every aspect

of human behaviour Whenever you decide to do something, your level of motivation toward it will influence your choice When you learn English, you will spend more time and energy on it if you have a high level of motivation to study Therefore, it means your motivation will affect the way you learn it

Reeve (2009a) defines motivation as a force that energizes and directs behaviour) He added: “Energy gives behaviour its strength, intensity, and persistence Direction gives behaviour its purpose and goal-directedness” While Deci and Ryan (2000) pointed that “motivation concerns energy, direction, persistence and equifinality all aspects of activation and intention Motivation has been a central and perennial issue in the field of psychology, for it is at the core of biological, cognitive, and social regulation.” They mentioned in their research that

if a person is motivated, it means he or she is moved, energized or activated to do something and And if he or she does not have any impetus or inspiration, it means

he or she is unmotivated

2.2.2 Self-determination theory

Self-determination theory is an empirically based theory It is part of the mainstream of biological organization theories about human behaviour and personality development While the main focus of research is in the field of psychology, Self-determination theory is also based on a number of research findings in the fields of physiology and neuroscience This article mainly deals with the aspect of human motivation, which is also the main research aspect of Self-determination theory, but its scope is broader with the aim of helping people better understand the psychological processes occurring within oneself and other individuals In addition, this theory is looking for ways to correct the surrounding

environment, in order to improve mental, physical health and performance as well

to characterize the functional distinctions between these two forms of motivation Intrinsic motivation is a natural wellspring of learning and achievement that can be systematically promoted or diminished by parent and teacher practices (Ryan & Stiller, 1991) Because intrinsic motivation leads to high-quality learning and creativity, it's critical to understand the variables and forces that encourage or discourage it

In the current examination, however, the description of the many different types of motivation that fall under the umbrella of extrinsic motivation is equally important Extrinsic motivation has been defined in the literature as a pale and impoverished (albeit powerful) kind of motivation that confronts intrinsic drive (deCharms, 1968) According to SDT, there are several types of extrinsic motivation, some of which are impoverished kinds of motivation and others of which are active, agentic states

Extrinsically driven acts might be motivated by resentment, resistance, or indifference, or by a desire that demonstrates an internal acceptance of the task's value or utility In the former scenario—the common situation of extrinsic motivation—where one feels externally driven into action, the extrinsic goal is self-endorsed and so embraced with a sense of choice Understanding the many forms of extrinsic motivation and what inspires them is critical for educators since they

cannot always rely on intrinsic desire to push pupils to study Because many of the activities that educators want their students to perform are not intrinsically engaging

or enjoyable, understanding how to foster more active and volitional (rather than passive and regulated) types of extrinsic motivation becomes an important teaching approach In this article, we present not just the numerous variations of motivational orientation that occur within the global extrinsic category, but also their various antecedents and consequences

2.2.2.1 Intrinsic motivation

Intrinsic motivation is defined as doing something for the purpose of doing it rather than for some external gain When a person is intrinsically motivated, he or she is motivated to perform because it is fun or difficult rather than because of external proddings, pressures, or incentives Intrinsic motivation was initially identified in animal behavior research, where it was demonstrated that many organisms engage in inquisitive, playful, and curious behaviors even when no reinforcement or reward is supplied (White, 1959) Although these spontaneous behaviors clearly benefit the organism, they do not appear to be performed for any objective reason, but rather for the positive sensations associated with exercising and expanding one's capacities

According to Deci (1975), "The ones for which there is no evident reward but the activity itself" according to the definition of intrinsically motivated activities In order for an individual to feel intrinsically motivated, three basic psychological demands must be met, according to self-determination theory These include autonomy (the ability to choose what to do and how to do it), competence (the ability to regulate our environment), and relatedness (the relationships we form

as a result of our interactions with others) This notion has far-reaching implications for students who are actively engaged in the learning process In other words, students are more likely to feel intrinsic motivation in an environment that promotes meeting these standards than in one that does not (Brophy, 2004)

Intrinsic motivation is not the only type of motivation or even volitional activity in humans, but it is a common and significant one Humans, at their

healthiest stages, are active, inquisitive, curious, and lively creatures from birth, displaying an innate desire to learn and explore without the need for external stimuli Because one improves in knowledge and abilities by acting on one's innate interests, this natural motivational drive is a vital component in cognitive, social, and physical growth The proclivity for novelty, active assimilation, and creative application of skills is not unique to infancy, but is a significant component of human nature that influences performance, perseverance, and well-being throughout life's stages

Although intrinsic motivation exists within individuals in one sense, it also exists in the relationship between individuals and activities in another Some tasks are intrinsically motivating for people, while others are not, and not everyone is naturally driven for every work

Because intrinsic motivation exists at the intersection of a person and a task, some authors define it in terms of how fascinating the task is, while others define it

in terms of the benefits a person derives from intrinsically motivated task engagement The idea of intrinsic motivation was proposed as a critical reaction to the two behavioural theories that dominated empirical psychology from the 1940s

to the 1960s, which explains why there are so many diverse definitions

2.2.2.2 Extrinsic motivation

Although intrinsic motivation is undeniably important, the bulk of people's behaviors are not in the strictest sense intrinsically driven This is especially evident beyond early childhood, when societal constraints and obligations demand individuals to take responsibility for activities that are not naturally appealing In schools, for example, it appears that intrinsic motivation declines with each passing grade

Extrinsic motivation is a notion that describes when someone engages in a behavior to reach a certain objective Extrinsic motivation differs from intrinsic motivation, which refers to doing something just for the purpose of doing it rather than for the utility value Unlike certain theories that see extrinsically motivated behavior as invariably non-autonomous, SDT contends that the degree to which

extrinsic motivation is autonomous can vary substantially Extrinsically driven students, for example, do their homework because they are terrified of parental punishment if they do not Similarly, a student who performs the work because she feels it will help her grow in her chosen area is extrinsically motivated since she is doing it for its practical value rather than enjoyment Although both cases contain instrumentalities, the latter involves personal endorsement and a feeling of choice, whereas the former involves just obeying with an external control Although the relative autonomy of the two forms of extrinsic incentive vary, both types of extrinsic drive involve deliberate behavior

Although the distinction between the two types of motivation remains important when addressing motivation, attitudes regarding extrinsic motivation have shifted Intrinsic motivation and extrinsic reward are assumed to operate together to promote learning today (Topalov, 2011) Deci and Ryan (2000) have revised their initial theory of self-determination to include extrinsic incentive in line with this Even extrinsically motivated conduct, according to this idea, can be self-determined if internalization (the change of external regulations into internal ones) occurs Extrinsic regulation can be divided into four categories based on the degree

of internalization External regulation is the first category, and it refers to activities that are solely motivated by external rewards or restraints As a result, the behaviours are completely under control Introjected regulation, the second type, is

in charge of actions that are slightly more internalized, in the sense that we have learnt how to behave in a predictable manner If we don't, we feel bad, which suggests we don't need an outside cause to govern our behaviour The processes we've acquired, though, are at odds with our sense of self The second sort of regulation is identified regulation, which occurs when a person recognizes a value that he or she has adopted as important Finally, because adopted values and one's sense of self are fully interwoven, integrated regulation is the most self-determined variety (Brophy, 2004)

2.2.2.3 Review of previous research on game usage in second language

education

Previous research has demonstrated that games are an important aspect of foreign language teaching and learning in a variety of settings Elaish et al (2019) had done research about "Development of a Mobile Game Application to Boost Students’ Motivation in Learning English Vocabulary" The purpose of this study was to see if the created Vocab Game might drive native Arab students studying English to improve their performance Sixty-four students were randomly assigned

to one of two groups: the control group (high-performance group) or the experimental group (low-performance group) (low-performance group) After the mobile learning intervention, students in the experimental group showed a substantial increase in motivation Their studies revealed that a mobile gaming application is beneficial to pupils who originally struggled with English and boosts their confidence Based on the study of the covariate analysis, there was also a link between the pre-test and post-test scores in terms of motivation to learn A popular mobile application game was designed to encourage Arab native students to study English as a second language

Turgut and Irgin (2009) did research in Turkey that looked at the language learning of young language learners using computer games This qualitative study looked into young learners' language learning experiences while playing computer games in cyber cafés The data was acquired through observations and semi-structured interviews, and it was processed using phenomenological data analysis processes by the authors The findings revealed that playing online games enhanced and improved participants' language acquisition, particularly vocabulary learning

Chou (2014) looked into how games, music, and tales inspired 72 Taiwanese English foreign language primary school students (ages 8 to 11) to learn English vocabulary Self-assessment questionnaires, achievement tests, and interviews were utilized to obtain qualitative and quantitative data Statistics software was used to examine the data gathered According to their similarities and differences, the qualitative data was coded, categorized, and reported The findings revealed that

games, music, and tales increased learners' motivation to enhance their English vocabulary

According to Kamra (2010), playing games in the classroom is an effective technique to teach English You'll obtain the finest outcomes in the classroom this way It piques the interest of students Young learners are prepared for life through games, and they develop excellent social attitudes as a result Sharing, assisting one another, and working as a team are all skills that games teach Doing, living, attempting, and mimicking are all ways for a youngster to learn As a result, this type of learning is long-lasting During sports, emotions such as the joy of winning and the fear of losing might occur This offers the teacher an insight of the student's personality As a result, games are essential activity for busy instructors This is consistent with Buckingham (2003)

Barrett (2012) claims that playing games is a pleasurable social experience that everyone likes Because play is an excellent way for humans to learn, games can be included in regular classroom exercises Because they are distinct from text games or board games, Clyde and Wilkinson (2012) argue that employing digital games is a new approach of controlling a classroom and encouraging students through using simulations

Tuan (2012) study looked at major motivating elements that influenced students' English learning performance, as well as some efficient approaches to develop these characteristics The study's goal was to see if motivation influenced students' English learning According to the findings, 94% of the participants believe that motivating activities are vital Students enjoy games, reading, translation, group or pair work, role-plays, and other activities such as watching English-language films on television and listening to cassette tapes

Alternate Reality Games (ARGs), as described by Connolly et al (2011), are

an innovative approach of conveying stories and narrating by combining numerous media and game aspects based on the actions of participants Dickinson (1981) described various ways for integrating learners in their second language for the sake

of communication, such as games, role-playing, and replicas, in order to improve

connection with others in his essay Guillen-Nieto (2012) also mentioned that, in addition to the value of games, it is crucial to consider the types of games, their application technique in the classroom, and the outcome of employing these games

in the classroom He concluded that the video game is an excellent teaching tool Games had a learning effect on both learners' intercultural and cultural knowledge

as well as their communicative abilities

Larsen (2012) developed a new design viewpoint for game-based learning that eliminates the requirement for instructor intervention and allows learners to complete tasks using their computers Anyaegbu (2012) addressed how Serious Games, specifically Mingoville, may be used to motivate EFL students in China Because of the attitudes of teachers and parents toward game-based learning in classrooms, he tried it in two different schools and got different results

Playing educational games also help students with focus, self-esteem, and memory Educational games can help a person focus because they are being patient while waiting to achieve getting to the next level Playing these games help (does not fit) their self- esteem because sometimes they get a quicker reaction from the game system and they can really see how they have accomplished something In the games there are milestones that the students will have to reach and at the end of each stage they receive something that they will have to have in the next stage This

is also where their focus comes into play because they will take their time to make sure they do things correctly so that they may go on longer in the game (Schuna 2010)

A primary advantage of educational games is that students can work on multiple skills and subjects across the curriculum at once The 2010 Horizon Report expands on this idea and includes a long list of benefits from “open-ended, challenge-based, truly collaborative games” such as massively multiplayer online games (MMOs) Using games of this type can open opportunities for students to work on skills in all areas of traditional education while at the same time including research skills, problem-solving and leadership

Prensky (2011) concluded by claiming that pupils are inherently encouraged

to play games Serious games are story-based interactive games that teach students goals, rules, adaptability, problem solving, and engagement They provide delight, passionate participation, structure, incentive, ego fulfillment, adrenaline, creativity, social contact, and emotion to meet their basic learning demands Prensky (2011) argued that: "Learning has to be done precisely with playing because it has a profound biological, evolutionarily significant role."

Most of the previous study revealed that games had a positive influence to students in learning In this study, researcher focuses on a specific group of students which are high school students in rural area Moreover, this study also aims at finding some difficulties that students and teachers may have when applying this method in teaching and learning

CHAPTER 3: RESEARCH METHOD

This chapter explains how the research was carried out The study’s participants, context, the procedure of data collection and analyses are presented

3.1 Research design

Given the benefits and drawbacks of the many instruments used in language acquisition research, the questionnaire was the best option for this study This low-cost research tool may be used in a variety of fields, including business, medical, marketing, education, and others When compared to other approaches, questionnaires are a very simple and low-cost way to gather data The findings are easy to understand and can reveal a lot about the subject's abilities, limitations, and preferences

Some researchers used questionnaire method by interviewing face to face The questionnaire in this study, however, featured a number of items that respondents had to fill on their own They had to check boxes indicating how they felt about the each item

Because participants in the survey were not totally good at understanding English context, so the questionnaire was translated into Vietnamese It would be familiar and understandable for all students Therefore, the result of the survey would be more precise

3.2 Data gather procedure

During regular class hours, high school students were given the questionnaire The participants were advised that the information acquired was anonymous and would only be used for research purposes Personal information was only used to determine their age and gender The students completed the surveys at their own pace, however the average time to complete the data sampling was around 5 minutes

3.3 Population and sample description

This study aimed at students at Nga Son High school Most of them come from farmer families with low financial condition Therefore, it is difficult for them

to have a good English learning environment The result of study will help teachers understand more about their students They will know how whether their students like applying games in the lessons or not and know how they can improve the learning efficiency

In the study, the sample size was calculated using Slovin's (1960) method which helps determine an adequate number of survey population The fomula of Slovin allows scientists to have a survey population with extreme precision Researchers can use it formula when the number of total population is determined and there is no knowledge on the population's behavior (Ellen, 2012) The population of the study includes 87 students, and each participant's opinion is unknown As a result, researcher can use this fomula

e is error tolerance margin chosen by Ellen (2012) According to the Eberly College

of Science, most researchers use the following values for e: 0.01, 0,05, and 0.1 (equivalent to 1 percent , 5 percent , and 10 percent ) e = 0,01 is used in the study

to ensure that the total population is not smaller than the number of survey sample

92 ≥ 𝟏𝟏𝟎𝟐

𝟏+𝟏𝟏𝟎𝟐.𝟎,𝟏 𝟐

This research conducted a survey on Nga Son High School with a total of

1102 students The minimal sample size for this study is 92 students, based on the assumption that the research will be 90% accurate (with a 10% margin of error) In actuality, the total number of students participating in the study is 101 The participants come from 3 groups of students (60 females and 41 males)

Table 1: Sample of the study

In the appendices, it shows the entire survey with all of the questions The questionnaire was divided into 4 parts The first parts included 2 questions about personal information which is gender and grade The second part gathered information about students’ intrinsic motivation The third part consisted of 10 questions about extrinsic motivation and the last part included 5 questions about

students’ difficulties in learning English through games with 5 items The survey was translated into Vietnamese before being sent out to participants in order to avoid any misinterpretation of the statements made in each question

Cronbach's Alpha is a metric used in the SPSS statistical program to examine the reliability of each elements in the survey Before examining the results, components that do not fulfill the Cronbach's Alpha criteria for acceptable reliability are removed from the survey

3.5 Data analysis

Base on the data gained from the questionnaire, the outcome of the survey will be generated into forms of tables, charts and graphs Before using SPSS software, the questions in the survey will be coded:

Table 2: Data From The Questionnaire Coding Frame

No

Part 1: Intrinsic Motivation

1 I feel happy when learning English through

games

I1

Adapt from Sobhani et al (2014)

2 I like my English teacher to start a lesson

with games

I2

3 I always look forward to the day when I can

learning English with games

Part 2: Extrinsic Motivation

words for a long time

3 Using games in learning English help me

speak English fluently

E3

4 I always try to win the game in English class E4

5 I feel more confident to use English if I learn

English by games

E5

6 By using games for English courses, the

opportunity of interaction with my

classmates is enhanced

E6

7 By using games for English courses, the

opportunity of interaction with my teacher is

enhanced

E7

8 My class would be more close if we play

games in English class

1 There is lack of material for a good game in

understand whether we learn or not

D3

4 Some games are not practical and suitable

enough for us to play

Table 3: Interpretation of Mean Scores

3.6 Reliability and Validity

Cronbach's Alpha is a statistic used to examine the reliability and validity of Likert scales It is calculated by measuring the correlation between variables in the same parent factor (Tho, 2013) As a result, Cronbach's Alpha was used to ensure

the reliability and validity of variables in the study Cronbach's Alpha coefficient received various values raged from 0 to 1, according to Hoang and Chu (2008) The greater the coefficient, the more dependable the scale is in general If the Cronbach's Alpha coefficient is more than or equal to 0.6, the variables in the same factors are reliable enough to fulfill the criteria (Nunally, 1978; Peterson, 1994) If Cronbach's Alpha coefficient is excessively high (roughly 0.95 and higher than 0.95), the variables on the scale, which are components of each factor, show no difference To guarantee uniformity, these characteristics will be removed from the surveys Furthermore, if a variable's Corrected Item -Total Correlation coefficient is less than 0.3, or if the value of a variable in the Cronbach's Alpha if Item Deleted column is larger than Cronbach's Alpha coefficient, the variable will be deleted from the scale (Nunnally, 1978)