The Golden Age of the Ottoman Empire and Africa: Examining a model for teaching interconnected histories through gamification

This study seeks to evaluate teachers’ attitudes towards the use of gamification in the teaching of history. The study addresses three research questions and three hypotheses using a descriptive survey research design. The population of the study comprises all the teachers of History in Junior Secondary schools and all the teachers of Citizenship and Heritage Studies in Senior Secondary schools in selected schools within Nigeria. A sample size of 400 teachers was chosen for the study through a purposive sampling technique. Data were collected using the instrument: Gamification and Interconnected Histories Questionnaire (GIHQ), which was validated by relevant experts. The reliability of the instrument was also established using Cronbach's alpha, which yielded a reliability coefficient of 0.82; the data were collected through the direct administration of the questionnaire with the assistance of trained research assistants.The research questions were answered using the mean and standard deviation, while the hypotheses were tested using the the independent samples t-test statistics at the 0.05 level of significance. The findings revealed that teachers held positive perceptions of gamification as an instructional approach. In contrast, the traditional method of teaching history was perceived as less effective, while the 5E instructional model was considered an appropriate pedagogical framework for integrating gamification into history instruction. The study recommended the adoption of gamification and the 5E teaching model in history education to enhance students' engagement and learning outcomes.. It also recommended the provision of adequate technological resources and continuous professional development programmes to equip teachers with the skills required for the effective implementation of gamified instruction. In conclusion, the study established that gamification increases students' engagement, critical thinking, and improves their understanding of the interconnected histories of the Ottoman Empire and Africa.