New Perspectives in Science Education

We are witnessing that with the rapid development of science and technology in the world, the importance of physics has increased because "knowledge of basic natural sciences contributes to technological progress and ensures sustainable development” [1,2]. In schools, physics is often considered fundamental because knowing it allows students to be prepared for the challenges of the 21st century. Therefore, it is important to improve the student outcomes by combining various forms of educational work, teaching methods and by skillful articulation of educational process, routine must be avoided, and thus boredom. Furthermore, lifelong involvement in physics requires more than just knowledge and skills, so it largely depends on the attitude that students have towards physics. Physics should ensure that students completing primary education understand and actively participate in discussions of science and technology issues and make responsible and informed decisions [3]. On the other side, games engage students and develop their creativity and because of that it is important to involve them in education. Introducing game elements in non-game environments is called gamification, broad term that includes many variations and applications. For this reason, applying gamification in education and especially in its science field is a challenge. The aim of this research is to provide a review of the literature about studies that focused on the use of gamification in physics education. The results of the research show that gamification in the field of educational physics is not exactly a method that is often used, especially since the research refers to all available articles in databases such as WOS and SCOPUS. Given that elements of gamification have been applied most frequently in computer science over the years, while other STEM areas have somehow been left out, this research points on one wide area that has not been explored yet.

Keywords physics, gamification, review 

References
[1] Fuchs, R. (2010). National framework curriculum for pre-school education and general compulsory and secondary education. Zagreb: Ministry of Science, Education and Sports.
[2] Uzunboylu, H.  i Asiksoy, G. (2014). Research in Physics Education: A Studio of Content Analysis. Procedia Social and Behavioral Sciences, 136, page 425.-437.
[3] Braš Roth, M., Markočić Dekanić, A. and Markuš Sandrić, M. (2017). PISA 2015. Natural Science Competences for Life. Zagreb: National Center for External Evaluation of Education - PISA Center