Strategic Thinking through Game Based Learning: The Educational Board Game “Princess of the Silk Road”

Abstract

In recent decades, educational systems globally have increasingly shifted toward fostering higher-order cognitive skills, with strategic thinking widely recognized as a crucial 21st-century competency necessary for navigating complex, dynamic environments. However, traditional teacher-centered pedagogical methods often provide limited opportunities for elementary students to practice authentic decision-making and problem-solving in real time. Addressing this critical gap in the literature, this study investigated the effectiveness of a culturally localized, custom-designed educational board game, “Princesses of the Silk Road,” in enhancing the strategic thinking skills of fourth-grade students. The game mechanics were specifically designed to operationalize and simulate core components of strategic thinking, including future thinking, evidence-based decision-making, delayed response, continuous strategy revision, goal setting, and complex mental modeling. The research employed a mixed-methods, quasi-experimental pre-test–post-test control group design to evaluate the intervention. A sample of forty female fourth-grade students (aged 9–10 years) from a public primary school were randomly assigned to an experimental group (n=20) and a control group (n=20). While the control group received standard conventional classroom instruction, the experimental group actively engaged in twelve structured 45-minute gameplay sessions over a designated period. Quantitative data measuring cognitive improvements were collected using standardized instruments, specifically the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function (BRIEF2) and the Children’s Future Thinking Questionnaire. Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA), controlling for initial pre-test scores, revealed a statistically significant improvement in the experimental group across all six measured strategic components (p<0.05). The data demonstrated that the game-based intervention yielded medium to large effect sizes across the different cognitive domains. Complementing the quantitative results, observational notes and brief student reflections also revealed increased planning and awareness of consequences during play. These findings provide preliminary evidence that the Princess of the Silk Road board game effectively aligns educational gameplay with strategic thinking principles and may serve as a valuable instructional tool in elementary education.