{"id":71519,"date":"2024-02-02T00:21:41","date_gmt":"2024-02-02T05:21:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/world.edu\/?p=71519"},"modified":"2024-02-02T00:21:41","modified_gmt":"2024-02-02T05:21:41","slug":"60-of-australian-english-teachers-think-video-games-are-a-legitimate-text-to-study-but-only-15-have-used-one","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/world.edu\/60-of-australian-english-teachers-think-video-games-are-a-legitimate-text-to-study-but-only-15-have-used-one\/","title":{"rendered":"60% of Australian English teachers think video games are a \u2018legitimate\u2019 text to study. But only 15% have used one"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/p>\n

Are you worried about how much time your child spends playing video games? Do they \u201chibernate\u201d for hours in their room, talking what seems like gibberish to their friends?<\/p>\n

Fresh air and life away from gaming are undeniably important. But it may help to know\u00a0our research<\/a>\u00a0shows many English teachers are thinking seriously about how gaming applies in their classrooms \u2013 even if there are divided opinions about how to approach it.<\/p>\n

Video games and English education<\/strong><\/h4>\n

The global gaming industry\u00a0is huge<\/a>\u00a0and continues to grow. It is tipped to be worth\u00a0US$321 billion (A$477 billion) by 2026<\/a>.<\/p>\n

While many gamers are over 18, we know video games are very important to young people\u2019s\u00a0culture and identity<\/a>. In 2023, Bond University\u00a0surveyed<\/a>\u00a01,219 Australian households on behalf of the Interactive Games and Entertainment Association. It found 93% of 5-14 year-olds and 91% of 15-24 year-olds surveyed in Australia play video games.<\/p>\n

More than fifteen years of\u00a0research<\/a>\u00a0has also shown video games can also have\u00a0educational benefits<\/a>. This includes developing problem solving and\u00a0literacy skills<\/a>, creativity, team work and developing a critical understanding of their place in the world.<\/p>\n

From an English teachers\u2019 perspective, many video games have complex narrative scripts and plots and clear character development. They also typically require players to interpret cultural contexts and apply them. For example, games like\u00a0The Legend of Zelda<\/a>\u00a0(first released in 1986 with multiple spin-offs) contain back-stories and plot-lines that are ripe for analysis.<\/p>\n

However, these sorts of games (or texts) are still not valued in English curricula. Greater value is placed on studying favourite classics such as Shakespeare, John Steinbeck, Ernest Hemingway and other print-based literature.<\/p>\n

Our research<\/strong><\/h4>\n

To better understand how teachers value digital games in their classrooms and how they use them, we surveyed 201 high school English teachers around Australia. They came from all school sectors. More than 60% of those surveyed had been teaching for at least ten years.<\/p>\n

Our research found:<\/p>\n