Teachers’ experiences of using Minecraft Education in primary school
An Irish perspective
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 21530678 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Eadaoin J Slattery (0000-0002-5513-8635, Centre for Assessment Research, Policy and Practice in Education, Institute of Education, Dublin City University, Dublin, Ireland, corresponding author), Deirdre Butler (0000-0001-7166-3707, School of STEM Innovation and Global Studies, Institute of Education, Dublin City University, Dublin, Ireland), Michael O’leary (0000-0002-6771-904X, Centre for Assessment Research, Policy and Practice in Education, Institute of Education, Dublin City University, Dublin, Ireland), Kevin Marshall (0000-0002-6793-5535, Microsoft Education, Dublin, Ireland) |
| Year | 2024 |
| Volume | 43 |
| Issue | 4 |
| Pages | 965-984 |
| Publication date | 2024-10-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Irish Educational Studies (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0332-3315 • E-ISSN: 1747-4965 |
| Publisher | Informa UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1080/03323315.2023.2185276 |
| OpenAlex | W4324085336 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 4 |
| References cited | 25 |
Minecraft Education is a popular digital game-based learning platform designed for use in educational settings. This study explores teachers’ experiences of using Minecraft Education as an educational tool to foster the development of key competencies and skills in students. Semi-structured interviews with Irish primary school teachers (N = 11) were conducted during a national project-based initiative involving Minecraft Education in primary schools called Ireland’s Future is MINE. Thematic analysis identified six major themes: encourages student collaboration, supports creativity, students as active participants in their learning, inclusive educational tool, supports curricular content, and barriers to use. Findings emphasise how the platform can be used in the classroom to support the development of skills and competencies students need to succeed in the future while simultaneously supporting curricular content. In addition, the platform can enable learning conditions that are more inclusive and equitable for all students. External technological barriers to use need to be addressed to realise the full potential of the platform in a classroom setting. The paper concludes with a series of recommendations and implications relating to the use of Minecraft Education in primary school classrooms
Creativity · Irish · Mathematics education · Pedagogy · Qualitative research · Sociology · Thematic analysis · Child Development and Digital Technology · Computer Science · Educational Games and Gamification · Impact of Technology on Adolescents · Psychology
Project-based learning
Agency as a fourth aspect of students’ engagement during learning activities
Creative learning environments in education—A systematic literature review
Foundations of Game-Based Learning
Game-based Learning and 21st century skills
How students create motivationally supportive learning environments for themselves
Thematic Analysis
Developing key competencies in sustainability through project-based learning in graduate sustainability programs
The agency effect
Addressing first- and second-order barriers to change
Online multiplayer games for the social interactions of children with autism spectrum disorder
Using thematic analysis in psychology
What is student agency and why is it needed now more than ever
From Edutainment to Serious Games
| Unique citing works | 4 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 4 |
| Citation span | 2025 - 2026 (2) |
| Citation velocity | current |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 4 |