📄 social_science

Divergent attitudes, convergent preferences: Teachers' and parents' views on digital games for primary school children in Greece

Although Greek teachers and parents of primary school children hold divergent attitudes regarding the advantages and disadvantages of digital games, they share convergent preferences on how these games should be used, suggesting a functional basis for collaborative home-school mediation.

Original authors: Evangelia Pouliou, Ioannis Lefkos, Nikolaos Fachantidis

Published 2026-07-06

📖 4 min read☕ Coffee break read

CC BY 4.0

Original authors: Evangelia Pouliou, Ioannis Lefkos, Nikolaos Fachantidis

Original paper licensed under CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). ✨ This is an AI-generated explanation of the paper below. It is not written or endorsed by the authors. For technical accuracy, refer to the original paper. Read full disclaimer

Imagine digital games as a new kind of kitchen appliance that has just entered the Greek household and classroom. Some people see it as a revolutionary tool for cooking delicious, nutritious meals (learning), while others worry it might burn the house down (addiction, health risks).

This study, titled "Divergent attitudes, convergent preferences," is like a taste-test survey where the chefs (teachers) and the parents (who feed the kids at home) were asked to rate this new appliance. The researchers wanted to know: Do these two groups see the appliance the same way? And more importantly, do they agree on how to actually use it?

Here is the breakdown of what the paper found, using simple analogies:

1. The "Flavor" of the Opinions (Attitudes)

The study found that teachers and parents have very different "palates" when it comes to digital games.

The Teachers (The Chefs): They are like chefs who see a new spice and immediately think, "This will make the dish more exciting!" They rated the benefits of games higher. They believe games can make learning fun, help kids solve problems, and keep students engaged. They see the "flavor" of education in the game.
The Parents (The Guardians): They are like parents who see that same spice and immediately think, "Is this too spicy? Will it upset their stomach?" They rated the risks much higher. They are deeply worried about addiction, sleep disruption, and kids becoming too sedentary. To them, the "burn" of the risk feels stronger than the "taste" of the benefit.

The Result: There is a clear gap. Teachers are more optimistic about the potential of games, while parents are more focused on the dangers.

2. The "Menu" Agreement (Preferences)

Here is where the story gets interesting. Even though the chefs and parents disagree on what the appliance does, they completely agree on how to use it.

Imagine asking both groups: "When should the kids use this new machine?"

Teachers said: "Let's use it during class time and at home."
Parents said: "Let's use it during class time and at home."

They both agreed that games shouldn't just be for "free time" or "unlimited play." They both want the usage to be supervised, limited, and purposeful. It's like both groups agreeing that the new appliance should only be used with a recipe and a timer, never left running on its own.

The Takeaway: Even though they argue about whether the machine is "good" or "bad," they agree on the rules of the road. They both want "active mediation"—which is a fancy way of saying: Don't just hand the kid the controller; sit with them, pick the right game, and watch how long they play.

3. The "Familiarity" Gap

The study also found that both groups are only moderately familiar with the different types of games.

They know the "classic" games (like puzzles or role-playing).
They are less familiar with the "newer" or more complex educational games (like augmented reality or design-based games).

Think of it like this: Both groups know how to use a toaster, but they aren't sure how to use a high-tech sous-vide machine. Because they don't fully understand all the features of the "newer" games, their opinions might be based on a limited menu.

4. The "Collaboration" Puzzle

When asked if games help kids work together (collaborate), the teachers were slightly more hopeful than the parents. Teachers thought, "Yes, this builds teamwork!" Parents were a bit more skeptical, thinking, "Maybe, but I'm not sure." However, both groups agreed that some games definitely allow kids to solve problems together.

The Bottom Line

The paper concludes that we shouldn't treat digital games as a simple "Good vs. Bad" switch.

Teachers see the opportunity (the learning).
Parents see the risk (the health and time).
But, they both agree on the solution: Use the games carefully, with supervision, and for a specific purpose.

The study suggests that because parents and teachers already agree on how to use the games (the "rules"), they can work together to guide children, even if they still argue a bit about why the games are good or bad. It's a case of "Divergent attitudes, convergent preferences": they see the mountain differently, but they agree on the path up the trail.

Technical Summary: Divergent Attitudes, Convergent Preferences

Problem Statement
Digital games are recognized in educational literature as having potential to support problem-solving, motivation, and active learning, yet they remain controversial due to concerns regarding excessive use, attention deficits, and health risks. While international research exists, the Greek context lacks comparative studies examining the views of both primary school teachers and parents simultaneously. Existing Greek literature often focuses on single stakeholder groups or broader technologies rather than specifically on digital games. This study addresses the gap in understanding how these two key adult groups—teachers and parents of children aged 4 to 12—evaluate the advantages, disadvantages, motivational potential, and collaborative value of digital games, and whether their attitudes diverge or converge regarding the mediation of children's gaming.

Methodology
The study employed a quantitative, cross-sectional research design using a closed-ended online questionnaire distributed via Google Forms.

Participants: The sample consisted of 180 respondents in Greece: 116 teachers and 64 parents (some participants held both roles). The sample was recruited via non-probability convenience and snowball sampling. The demographic profile was predominantly female (90.6%) and aged 31–50.
Instrument: The questionnaire comprised 15 questions organized into three axes: (1) demographic data and familiarity with game types; (2) perceived advantages and disadvantages of digital games; and (3) attitudes regarding motivation, collaboration, and pedagogical utility. Items were adapted from validated tools by Al-Hileh & Ibrahim (2018) and Noraddin & Kian (2015).
Analysis: Data were analyzed using Jamovi (version 2.3). Descriptive statistics (means, standard deviations, frequencies) summarized trends. Internal consistency was assessed via Cronbach's α. Group differences between teachers and parents were examined using Mann-Whitney U tests for scale comparisons and Chi-square tests for categorical data (e.g., preferred context of use). Effect sizes were reported as rank-biserial correlations ( $r$ ) and Cramér's $V$ .

Key Results

Familiarity and Usage: Respondents reported moderate familiarity with digital game types, with higher familiarity for puzzle and role-playing games compared to augmented reality or design-based educational games.
Perceived Advantages vs. Disadvantages: Overall, concerns were rated more strongly than benefits. However, significant group differences emerged:
- Advantages: Teachers rated perceived advantages significantly higher than parents ( $U=2165.0, p=0.010, r=-0.28$ ).
- Disadvantages: Parents rated perceived disadvantages significantly higher than teachers ( $U=1102.0, p=0.001, r=0.35$ ), with addiction, physical fitness, and sleep disruption being the top concerns.
- Motivation: Teachers held significantly more positive motivational beliefs regarding digital games ( $U=4723.5, p=0.002, r=-0.27$ ).
- Collaboration: While teachers rated collaboration potential slightly higher, the difference was not statistically significant ( $p=0.053$ ).
Convergence in Preferences: Despite the divergence in attitudes, both groups showed almost identical preferences regarding when and how children should use digital games. There was no significant association between respondent role and preferred context of use (school, home, or both) ( $\chi^2(3)=0.93, p=0.818$ ). Both groups also agreed on the current usage of games in these settings.
Teacher Specifics: Teachers who responded to the teaching tool section (n=107) expressed strong agreement that games support learning from mistakes, curriculum problem presentation, and feedback provision.

Key Contributions
The study contributes to the literature by:

Providing a comparative analysis of teacher and parent attitudes toward digital games within the specific context of Greek primary education.
Identifying a distinct "attitude-behavior" gap: while teachers and parents diverge significantly in their evaluation of the risks and benefits of digital games, they converge on the behavioral norms regarding the context and frequency of use.
Highlighting that "active mediation" (combining content selection, supervision, and aligned guidance) is a shared functional basis, even when underlying beliefs differ.
Offering empirical data on the specific types of games (e.g., puzzle, role-playing) that are most familiar to Greek families and educators, contrasting them with less familiar educational genres.

Significance and Claims
The authors claim that the findings support a view of digital games not as inherently beneficial or harmful, but as tools whose value is realized through adult mediation. The study suggests that shared behavioral norms (convergent preferences) can provide a functional basis for home-school collaboration, even in the absence of shared attitudes. The authors posit that joint interventions should not assume that attitude alignment is a prerequisite for joint practice; rather, the existing agreement on how and when to use games offers a viable starting point for collaborative guidance.

The paper explicitly notes that its exploratory sample limits the generalizability of these findings. The authors do not claim that their results represent all Greek teachers and parents, nor do they propose specific new pedagogical frameworks or policy mandates beyond the recommendation of "active mediation" and the need for further research with larger, balanced samples and qualitative components. The study concludes that the educational potential of digital games is credible when linked to specific learning objectives and adult guidance, shifting the focus from prohibition to moderation.