EDUCATIONAL DIGITAL GAMES: WHAT DO THE DISSERTATIONS AND THESES SAY?

Abstract

The teaching of Chemistry, through the learning of concepts, in some elements, is considered difficult to understand due to the fact that Chemistry presents abstraction with regard to microscopic and macroscopic views. Through this, proposing didactic-pedagogical experiences regarding the experience with Digital Games (JD) can favor overcoming the gaps seen and/or idealized on the school floor. In this sense, knowing the focus of the dissertations and theses available in the Brazilian Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations (BDTD) on JD in Chemistry teaching is promising. Thus, this research investigated, through a Systematic Literature Review, proposed in five stages, what has been the core of the dissertations and theses published on digital games in teaching Chemistry at BDTD between 2012 and 2022. In addition, it identified the focus (FO), nationality (NA), programming language (LP) and application context (CA) of these publications. The research also revealed that the works were focused on showing that a small part of the research in JED in Chemistry is linked with the elaboration, application and reflection of these games (Ear). The numbers also show that although there is a supposedly growing number of publications regarding the DEG, until then there are few [PUB-Dis] and [PUB-Tes] that dialogue with the theoretical-methodological contributions in the development of the DEG, thus showing the need for research to discuss vertically about the learning theories that underlie their games, in which the Northeast region had a greater number of works. The Java and Game Editor language for developing the JD game code was the most used in dissertations and theses. Finally, initial training was the most evident application context in the research.