Exploring the Potential of Educational Board Games for Affective Learning in Astronomy Education

Affective learning refers to how people emotionally respond to the learning process, encompassing factors such as perceived value, beliefs, engagement, interests, and motivation. This is particularly relevant in the field of astronomy, where the high levels of abstraction needed to explain many astronomical phenomena can often lead to disengagement from the subject, despite its popularity. To investigate the potential of game-based learning for promoting affective learning in astronomy, this study employed a teaching sequence involving five educational board games. Specifically, the study focused on two constructs of affective learning: motivation and attitude towards learning astronomy at the secondary level.
The study used a mixed-methods non-equivalent groups quasi-experimental design, with 605 Irish students aged between 12 and 14 divided into intervention and control groups. Data were collected through an affective learning survey, classroom observations, and student focus groups. The results indicated that the intervention group showed a statistically significant difference compared to the control group. Learning astronomy through board games can have a positive impact on students’ affective learning constructs, as well as enhance their perception of the subject.

Through this presentation, authors will report on how astronomy-themed board games can intrinsically motivate learners and provide them with a new and engaging way to learn astronomy without the need for external rewards such as prizes and extra points. The findings of this study demonstrate that board games can be a valuable tool to support formal instruction, validating their use as an immersive and effective approach to astronomy education.