The Effect of Educational Games on Working Memory and Academic Achievement of Elementary School Students with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Assistant Professor, Department of Educational Sciences, Farhangian University

2 Department of Educational Technology, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Allameh Tabataba'i University.

10.22091/jrim.2025.12648.1253

Abstract

The present study aimed to investigate the effect of educational games on the working memory and academic achievement of elementary school students with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The research method was quasi-experimental with a pretest-posttest design and a control group. The statistical population included all sixth-grade elementary students with ADHD in District 5 of Tehran during the academic year of 2023-2024. From the statistical population (N=80), 30 individuals were selected purposively and then randomly assigned to two groups: experimental (15 students) and control (15 students). Data collection tools included the Working Memory Test Battery for Children (Pickering & Gathercole, 2001) and a 20-item multiple-choice test based on the sixth-grade mathematics textbook.  According to the research approach, the experimental group received intervention through educational games, while the control group received no intervention. The results showed a significant difference in the dependent variable of working memory between the experimental and control groups (F = 10.325, p = 0.001, partial eta squared = 0.432). In other words, educational games had a significant effect on the working memory of students with ADHD in Tehran. Additionally, there was a significant difference in the dependent variable of academic achievement between the two groups (F = 9.302, p = 0.001, partial eta squared = 0.399), indicating that educational games also positively impacted the academic achievement of students with ADHD in Tehran.  Based on the findings, educational games were effective in enhancing both working memory and academic achievement among students with ADHD in District 5 of Tehran. Therefore, it is recommended that education specialists utilize this intervention to improve working memory and academic performance in students with attention deficits.

Keywords


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