Development of Game-Based Learning Activities on Drug Hazards and Prevention for Grade 7 Students

Abstract

This study aimed to: (1) develop game-based learning activities on the topic of Hazards and Prevention of Drug Abuse for Grade 7 students to achieve an efficiency criterion of 80/80; (2) compare students’ learning achievements before and after the implementation of the activities; and (3) examine students’ satisfaction with the game-based learning approach. Despite the increasing use of game-based learning, there is a lack of empirical studies examining its effectiveness in drug abuse prevention education among lower secondary school students. The sample consisted of 40 Grade 7 students selected through cluster random sampling. This study employed a quasi-experimental research design. The research instruments included twelve game-based learning lesson plans, a learning achievement test, and a questionnaire measuring students’ satisfaction. The data were analyzed using means, standard deviations, and dependent samples t-tests. The results revealed that: (1) the lesson plans demonstrated the highest level of appropriateness and achieved an efficiency of 82.21/84.15, meeting the 80/80 criterion; (2) students’ post-test scores were significantly higher than their pre-test scores at the .05 level; and (3) students’ satisfaction was at the highest level. The findings suggest that game-based learning is an effective approach for enhancing students’ knowledge and engagement in drug abuse prevention and can be applied to promote more interactive and student-centered learning in health education.