Board game-based intervention to improve executive functions and academic skills in rural schools: A randomized controlled trial

Introduction This research intends to increase the knowledge about the use of board games in the classroom to train executive functions and academic skills. 99 children from rural schools were assessed in executive functions and academic skills. Methods Through a randomized controlled trial, they we...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: Vita Barrull, Núria, Estrada Plana, Verónica, March Llanes, Jaume, Guzmán, Núria, Fernández Muñoz, Carlos, Ayesa, Rosa, Moya Higueras, Jorge
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Estado:Versión publicada
Fecha de publicación:2023
País:España
Institución:Varias* (Consorci de Biblioteques Universitáries de Catalunya, Centre de Serveis Científics i Acadèmics de Catalunya)
Repositorio:Recercat. Dipósit de la Recerca de Catalunya
OAI Identifier:oai:recercat.cat:10459.1/464655
Acceso en línea:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tine.2023.100216
https://hdl.handle.net/10459.1/464655
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:Board games
Executive function
Academic skills
School intervention
Rural school
Descripción
Sumario:Introduction This research intends to increase the knowledge about the use of board games in the classroom to train executive functions and academic skills. 99 children from rural schools were assessed in executive functions and academic skills. Methods Through a randomized controlled trial, they were assigned to a playing group (n = 51) and an active control group (regular classes without games, n = 48). Play program consisted of 12 sessions for 6 weeks with eight commercial board games. Results In flexibility, the playing group was significantly faster after the program (p= = .01, d = 0.76), but not the control group (p = .23; d = 0.35). Both groups improved in the academic tasks, but the significance in calculus was greater in the playing group (p = .00; d = 2.19) than in the control group (p = .01; d = 0.97). Discusion The use of board games during school hours could be as good or better methodology for cognitive training and learning academic skills than regular classes.