Rural-Urban Digital Divide Discourse: Exploring the Efficacy of Game-Based Learning in Early Childhood Development in Zimbabwe

Christopher Zishiri, Leo Mataruka, Gladman Jekese and Emilda Rumbidzai Machiridza
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Christopher Zishiri: Faculty of Education, Department of Educational Foundations, Primary Education and Pedagogy, Midlands State University, Gweru, Zimbabwe.
Leo Mataruka: Department of Finance and Banking, Faculty of Commerce, Innovation and Technology, the Catholic University of Zimbabwe, Harare Campus, Zimbabwe.
Gladman Jekese: Midlands State University, Department of Information and Marketing Sciences, Gweru, Zimbabwe
Emilda Rumbidzai Machiridza: Faculty of Education, Department of Educational Foundations, Primary Education and Pedagogy, Midlands State University, Gweru, Zimbabwe.

International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science, 2025, vol. 9, issue 3s, 901-914

Abstract: This qualitative study explores the impact of Game-Based Learning (GBL) on the holistic development of young learners within the framework of a game-based spiral Early Childhood Development (ECD) curriculum. Focusing on the rural-urban internet divide in Zimbabwe, the research involved 80 participants from 16 ECD centres, including administrators, learners, and classroom practitioners. Data were collected through interviews, focus groups, and in-situ observations. Thematic analysis revealed that the effectiveness of GBL varied based on the suitability of games for specific developmental domains. Findings indicate that modern educational games were significantly more effective in urban ECD centres, where internet access was available as compared to ECD centres in rural areas, which often struggled with poor connectivity. Consequently, the study recommends the use of low-cost offline games in internet-constrained rural schools. Implementing these games as teaching aids can enhance the holistic development of ECD learners, bridging the gap created by the rural-urban internet divide. This research contributes valuable insights to the ongoing discourse surrounding internet adoption in the field of education, particularly relating to the implementation of GBL in digitally underserved ECD settings.

Date: 2025
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