Students’ Perceptions of Digital Games for Learning Chemistry in Tanzanian Higher Learning Institutions

Students’ Perceptions of Digital Games for Learning Chemistry in Tanzanian Higher Learning Institutions

Madina Hamisi Juma & Joel Rumanyika
College of Business Education, Dodoma Tanzania
Email: madinahamisi@gmail.com

Abstract: This study explored students’ perceptions of digital games for learning chemistry at higher learning institutions (HLIs) in Dodoma, Tanzania. We used a descriptive research design to collect both qualitative and quantitative data from selected HLIs in Dodoma, Tanzania. The study results indicate that students hold positive attitudes toward digital games in chemistry learning, citing multimedia content, alignment with diverse learning styles, and self-paced learning, while simulation emerged as most games used, with physical chemistry identified as most topic learned through these tools. Moreover, the result shows that students’ behavioral intention to use digital games was driven by personal beliefs about usefulness, including feedback, autonomy, and simplification of complex concepts. Notably, students perceived digital games as individual learning tools than collaborative platforms, with subjective norms playing little role in their adoptions. The major challenges identified were limited awareness and access to existing digital games for chemistry learning, which hindered adoption and use. This study contributes to the existing body of literature on digital pedagogy by exploring perceptions on the use of digital games for learning among higher education students, area that has not been sufficiently investigated. The findings have important implications for improving the learning of STEM subjects, which are perceived as difficult due to their complexity and abstract concepts. The study further addresses the challenge of limited access instructional resources, which persist in many schools in Africa, Tanzania in particular. The research also contributes to the existing body of knowledge regarding the use of educational technology in the Tanzanian context, which can inform future educational practices and policies.