High School Students' Motivation to Learn Climate Change Science through Educational Computer Games.

This article investigates how educational computer games can motivate high school students to learn about climate change science, using Keller’s ARCS Motivation Model—which stands for Attention, Relevance, Confidence, and Satisfaction—as an analytical framework. Through a qualitative case study involving one high school teacher and eight students in a Marine Science course in the Southeastern United States, the study found that games such as Hurricane Curling and Sea Turtle Crossing effectively captured students’ attention, connected content to real-world experiences, built learner confidence, and provided satisfying, enjoyable learning experiences. While all games engaged students, those with clearer real-world relevance and balanced difficulty levels were more successful in fostering motivation. The findings suggest that educational computer games, when thoughtfully designed and integrated, can create immersive and stimulating environments that enhance student motivation and understanding of complex climate change concepts.