ASSESSMENT ON FACTORS THAT AFFECT USES OF GAMES TO IMPROVE STUDENTS’ PARTICIPATION IN EFL CLASSES: BOSET SECONDARY SCHOOL AT BOSET WOREDA OLENCHITY TWON

Abstract

Students can use language games as tools to improve their speaking. The enjoyment factor in games gives participants more opportunities to experience actual-life situations and greater freedom of thought within the confines of the game's rules. The major goal of this study was to assess factors that affect uses of games to improve students’ participation in EFL of grade 9 at Boset Secondary School at Olenchity Town. The Boset Secondary School was the study's target population, with ninth grade students serving as a sample. The researcher was required to employ a mix of quantitative and qualitative research methods as part of a descriptive research design. Purposive sampling was used to choose this school because it was the researcher's work setting, whereas simple random sampling was used to select 120 students from a population of 600 because it was challenging to handle all the populations in the study. Additionally, the researcher used purposive sampling to choose six English teachers for the ninth grade because they were thought to be crucial to the study. Questionnaires, interviews, and observations were the three methods employed to gather the data. First, data from the students was gathered via closed-ended questionnaires. Second, data from English teachers was gathered through semi-structured interviews. The study was then triangulated using the observations made in the classroom. Thus, using the statistical package for social science (SPSS) version 20 software, descriptive statistics were employed to evaluate the data gathered by questionnaires, using frequency, percentage, mean, and standard deviation. Similar qualitative analysis was done on the information gathered through teachers' semi-structured interviews and classroom observation checklists. The research results showed the following: First, students’ participation in English language game activities was influenced by teacher-related factors. For instance, ninth grade English teachers failed to adequately explain the game's rules to their students, which preventing them from taking part in class. Furthermore, teachers' comments did not always inspire students to engage more fully in gaming activities during English class. Second, there were factors related to students that had an impact on English language games to increase student engagement. Last, the research also stated game activity-related factors that affect English language games to improve students’ participation. Finally, it is recommended that teachers teach the games attentively, and students should also encourage themselves to be good English speakers; thus, they should try to use the English language without translation to their mother tongue during games, and English games should be fun and simpler for students.