Breaking Out Of The High School English Classroom: A Descriptive Qualitative Study On The Use Of Educational Breakout Boxes
Keywords:
Game-Based Learning, Educational Games, Breakout Boxes, Teaching/Learning StrategyAbstract
Although much research has investigated the use of game-based learning or GBL in classroom instruction, there is still scarce literature on the educational use of breakout boxes, a physical escape room kit. In addition, studies conducted in Asia, especially in the Philippines are rare to none. The purpose of the thesis was to explore and describe the novel approach to classroom instruction, identify its engaging elements and perceived value, and potentially bridge the gaps. Data were collected from observations of five breakout sessions in a class of twenty-seven learners, a focus group discussion with twelve students, and interviews with three teachers. Thematic analysis was used to discover emerging themes and the educational breakout boxes’ perceived value. Observation notes and participant responses in the focus groups and interviews resulted in seven themes that relate to the breakout game’s engaging elements: story, rules, role-play, failure, social features, visuals, and music. There were also three emerging themes related to the game’s perceived value, namely: engagement, skills, and adaptability. To the author’s knowledge this is the first study to explore educational breakout boxes, their engaging power and perceived value in a Filipino classroom context. The study also revealed the role of design in these novel GBL approaches to teaching and learning. Also, the findings add to the literature on game-based teaching and learning especially on the educational use of breakout games.
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