Identity does matter: teacher disciplinary attitudes toward digital games

Abstract

Teacher gaming experience affects attitudes toward digital games and consequent instructional behaviors, yet the influences of gamer identity from the perspective of teacher-student relationships have received limited research attention. We recruited 683 junior high and elementary school teachers working in Miaoli County, Taiwan to investigate the influences of gaming experience and gamer identity on the ways they regulate student digital game play in terms of time (duration), location, game genre, and playing partners. A game experience questionnaire, gamer identity scale, and digital game discipline scale were used to collect data. Results indicate that respondents with more gaming experience or higher gamer identity scores were more likely to report hands-off attitudes regarding discipline, while teachers with less or no game experience held stricter disciplinary attitudes, especially in terms of game genre and playing partners. Our hope is that the findings support teacher training programs in their efforts to address teacher concerns and negative perceptions of digital games in classroom settings. Additional research is required to clarify how the connection between teacher gaming experience and identity affects classroom learning.