Abstract:

Based on the urgent need to promote awareness about Financial Education and Sustainability in schools, (República Portuguesa, 2018; OECD, 2020; Rosa, 2021) and the adoption of new pedagogical strategies to motivate and teach students, this research seeks to understand and analyze the potential engagement, motivation and learning of students, using digital games in an educational context (Carvalho et al., 2014; Danielli, et al., 2020; Suandique, et al., 2022; Beça et al, 2021) in two ways: as players and as creators of these games. Thus, placing students not only in the role of players but also in the role of creators is one of the possible approaches to the integration of games in the Portuguese educational context, supported by the constructivist learning theory, where the student "learns by doing" (Masson et al., 2012). In this perspective, the results of the Gamers4Nature project suggest using this strategy in schools, where the creation of a digital game can be used as a means of transmitting information, and above all as a promoter of behavioral change.

Based on this premise, the research project presented in this article intends, in the first phase, to design a strategy that involves the students, game creators and players at the same time. After this first strategy is applied, it also intends to analyze the impact of the use of the digital games created in the classroom in the motivation and learning of the students who assumed the role of digital game creators, and in the students who played these games in the subject of Education for Citizenship. It also intends to analyze the perceptions of the teachers involved on the potential of digital games in an educational context. This way, the project will involve two classes, a vocational secondary school class and a third cycle of basic education class, with a total of 40 students, and their teachers that will accompany the process in a non-laboratorial context. The implementation phase will take place in two stages: From December 2022 to February 2023 - engagement of vocational secondary school students ("creators"), through the creation of digital games about financial education and sustainability education, aimed at the group of 3rd cycle students; from March to May 2023 - analysis of the learning outcome with the 3rd cycle students ("players").

The study is based on an action-research methodological approach, with exploratory emphasis and qualitative in nature. Some techniques will be used in data collection: questionnaire survey, direct observation, and document analysis.

These will be supported by the following instruments: checklist for the developers and teacher, questionnaire for the players (in pre-test and final versions), logbook, documents produced by the developers and other instruments considered important.

By focusing on the search for strategies that promote meaningful learning, this study may contribute to a deeper understanding of the relationship between learning, motivation, and the use of digital games in an educational context, enabling the agents involved to learn about the theme - Financial Education, and to reflect on the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDG).

Keywords:

Game-Based Learning (GBL), Motivation, Creating Involvement, Financial Education and Sustainability, education.