IMPACT OF TRADITIONAL GAMES ON CRITICAL AND CREATIVE THINKING IN PRIMARY SCHOOL STUDENTS: A QUASI-EXPERIMENTAL MIXED-METHODS STUDY

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This study explores the influence of traditional Turkish games on the development of creative and critical thinking in primary school students. These traditional games, now at risk of disappearing, may hold untapped educational potential. Using an exploratory sequential mixed-methods design, interviews with 12 primary school teachers identified themes indicating that such games foster critical thinking, analytical ability, mathematical reasoning, creativity, confidence, teamwork, and strategic planning. These qualitative insights guided a quasi-experimental study with 79 fourth-grade students: an experimental group (39 students engaged in traditional games) and a control group (40 students with regular activities). The intervention involved 40-minute sessions, four days a week for eight weeks. Pretest scores showed no significant differences between groups, but posttests revealed marked improvements in the experimental group. These results suggest that integrating traditional games into classroom settings can be an effective alternative to conventional teaching for promoting critical thinking.