The effect of the CI-Tombala game on the knowledge level of gifted students regarding geographically indicated products

The use of games in teaching geographically indicated (GI) products—an essential component of cultural heritage—has emerged as an innovative educational approach. In this study, a bingo-based instructional game, titled CI-Tombala, was developed to facilitate learning about GI-registered products. The primary aim of the research is to examine the effect of the CI-Tombala game, designed using municipal logos featuring geographically indicated products, on students’ knowledge levels regarding such products. To achieve this objective, the CI-Tombala game was specifically designed by the researchers based on municipal logos incorporating GI elements. The study employed a quantitative research methodology, utilizing a single-group pre-test–post-test experimental design. The sample consisted of 18 middle school students from a province located in the Eastern Mediterranean Region of Turkey. Data were collected a 12-item multiple-choice instrument, namely the CI-Tombala Knowledge Test, developed by the researchers. The instrument was administered as both a pre-test and a post-test to assess changes in students’ knowledge levels. The collected data were analyzed using computer-based statistical methods. The findings indicate that the CI-Tombala game has a statistically positive effect on students’ knowledge of geographically indicated products. Based on these results, it is recommended that similar game-based instructional tools integrating cultural heritage elements be developed and implemented in educational settings.