Original Research

Childhood education student teachers responses to a simulation game on food security

Nadine Felicity Petersen
South African Journal of Childhood Education | Vol 4, No 1 | a116 | DOI: https://doi.org/10.4102/sajce.v4i1.116 | © 2014 Nadine Felicity Petersen | This work is licensed under CC Attribution 4.0
Submitted: 22 July 2014 | Published: 01 July 2014

About the author(s)

Nadine Felicity Petersen, University of Johannesburg, South Africa

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Abstract

This paper provides an account of student teachers responses to a simulation game about food scarcity and how the game served as a conversation starter about the influence of food scarcity on educational provisioning. The simulation game was utilised as part of a suite of activities during an educational excursion for first years in primary school teacher education. In this investigation data were generated via video recordings of the simulation game itself, summary notes of the key points of the discussion session during the game, and students’ learning portfolios. Analysis of the various data sets indicate that student-teachers’ engaged with the game both viscerally and cerebrally, with the game providing a powerful concrete introduction to the issues of food scarcity and unequal distribution of resources. Most student teachers were able to relate the lessons learned from the game to the classroom and educational situation. In addition, I found that the simulation game as method can assist students in their activity of learning to look at education as an equity and justice issue.


Keywords

simulation game, pre-service teacher education, food scarcity, childhood education, educational excursion

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