Digital game-based learning: Effects on primary school students’ perceptions of failures

Failure is an unavoidable part of learning and a golden chance for further development, while most students perceive failures in learning negatively. Digital game-based learning may improve their perceptions of failures and facilitate their learning from failures by lowering the consequences of failures, reducing the threat to learner ego, and developing learner competence in dealing with failures. However, despite its great potential, this direction was hardly investigated in previous studies. To fill in the gap, this study aims to investigate primary school students' perceptions of failures in digital game-based learning, analysing the effects of the innovative learning approach on learners' affective states and providing implications for future researchers and practitioners. A five-week experimental study is designed, and data will be collected through pre- and post-questionnaires and semi-structured focus group interviews. This study may contribute to an enhanced understanding of young children's educational psychology and game-based learning.