Title: A Comparative Analysis of Creative Thinking Gains Through Structured Educational Games Among Grade 6 Learners"
Authors: Jean P. Carrido, Grace T. Flores, EdD
Volume: 9
Issue: 11
Pages: 169-174
Publication Date: 2025/11/28
Abstract:
This study determined the level of creative thinking skills of Grade 6 learners in both the control and experimental groups, assessed their performance after exposure to structured educational games, and compared the mean gain scores of learners taught through structured educational game instruction and those taught using traditional lecture methods. It also sought to identify whether a significant difference existed in the creative thinking skills of learners before and after the intervention. A descriptive quasi-experimental research design employing a pretest-posttest approach was utilized to examine the effectiveness of structured educational games in enhancing creative thinking skills in Science. The study was conducted at Consuelo Elementary School in Barangay Dumalagan, Butuan City, involving 51 Grade 6 learners from two intact and heterogeneous sections. Section Bonifacio (n=25) served as the experimental group, while Section Rizal (n=26) served as the control group. Research instruments included a validated six-item creative thinking test in essay format and a structured educational games manual reviewed by expert evaluators. Data collection involved administering a pretest, implementing the intervention with the experimental group, conducting a posttest, and analyzing the results through frequency counts, percentages, weighted means, paired t-tests, and independent t-tests. Findings revealed that the experimental group performed significantly better in the posttest, with more learners achieving the Outstanding and Very Satisfactory levels compared to the control group, where nearly half remained in the Does Not Meet Expectations category. The paired t-test for the control group indicated significant improvement after lecture-based instruction, but many learners continued to perform poorly. In contrast, classroom observations showed that structured educational games promoted active engagement, collaboration, and motivation, contributing to higher creative thinking gains. The independent t-test further confirmed a very significant difference between the mean gain scores of the two groups (t = 3.755; p = .000), favoring the experimental group. The study concluded that structured educational games were more effective than traditional methods in improving the creative thinking skills of Grade 6 learners in Science.