Examining the Prediction of Digital Game Addiction Awareness on Digital Educational Game Usage

Background: Individuals need to be conscious and aware not to experience the negative effects of digital games and identify the difference between dijital games and digital educational games. The use of digital educational games has four sub-dimensions. These are the "affective approach", the "perceived usefulness," "perceived control," and "behavioral approach" (Sarigöz, Bolat, & Alkan, 2018). In this study, these sub-dimensions analyzed in the frame of digital game addiction awareness. Purposes: This study examines the predictors of pre-service teachers' awareness of digital game addiction and their use of digital educational games. Methodology/Approach: The data of this study, in which the correlational predictive research method was used, were collected through the Digital Game Addiction Awareness Scale and the Digital Educational Game Use Scale. Findings: As a result of the study in which 246 pre-service teachers participated; there is a negative relationship between pre-service teachers' awareness of digital game addiction and their emotional approach towards their use of digital educational games, their perceived usefulness of digital educational games, their perceived control in digital educational games using and their behavioral approaches to digital educational game use, which expresses the preference of digital educational games over other games, and the relationship between digital educational game playing situations are determined. In addition, it was determined that all of these relationships were predictive. Discussion: Digital educational games are played to learn. While it is expected that teacher candidates' awareness of digital game addictions will increase, it is recommended to raise awareness of the benefits of digital educational games so that they do not have negative feelings about digital educational games.