Advisers

Michael L. Bersamin, LPT

Discipline

Education

Abstract

This study investigated the utilization of Brain Brawl as a game-based instructional strategy in teaching Cold War events among BSED Social Studies major students, guided by the objective of determining its impact on student performance and perceptions while addressing challenges that emerged during its implementation. Specifically, the study sought to describe the demographic profile of respondents, compare pretest and posttest results, evaluate their perceptions in terms of attention, relevance, confidence, and satisfaction, identify significant differences in learning outcomes, examine problems encountered, and determine how the findings may be utilized in crafting a teaching guide. The study employed an experimental design involving 47 students. Participants completed a pretest before the Brain Brawl intervention and a posttest afterward, together with a structured survey questionnaire. Descriptive statistics were used for demographic and perception data, while a dependent t-test assessed differences in scores. The mean score increased from 11.60 on the pretest to 28.47 on the posttest, with t = 17.60 and p < .00001. Students reported favorable perceptions of Brain Brawl in terms of attention (weighted mean = 3.45), relevance (3.48), confidence (3.40), and satisfaction (3.35), indicating that the activity was engaging and meaningful. Reported challenges included noise, time pressure, competitive anxiety, and difficulty with some questions. The significant improvement in test scores and favorable learner perceptions indicate that Brain Brawl was an effective instructional tool for teaching Cold War events. The activity also appeared to support learner confidence, motivation, retention, and collaboration when challenges were addressed through balanced game design and effective classroom management. The study recommends developing a structured teaching guide to support enjoyable and pedagogically appropriate implementation.

Keywords

satisfaction, game-based learning, student perceptions, attention, student performance, confidence, relevance, social studies education, brain brawl, cold war events, pre-test and post-test