This study aimed to examine the effectiveness of an educational game developed to facilitate middle school students’ understanding of the concept of the ecological footprint. To this end, a strategy-based educational board game entitled ECO-MAP (Ecological Footprint Map) was developed following the ADDIE instructional design model. In the game, students progress across a world map by responding to decision cards, leaving either green or red ecological footprints according to their choices. The game development process was carried out collaboratively with students enrolled in a Science and Art Center (SAC) under the supervision of a mentor teacher. The study sample consisted of 30 middle school students attending a public school in Türkiye. Data were collected using an Environmental Literacy Knowledge Test, administered as both a pre-test and post-test, together with an Environmental Behavior Interview Form.The development of the ECO-MAP educational game was completed through four successive phases. During the initial three-week phase, an extensive literature review on environmental literacy, environmental education, and ecological footprint was conducted, revealing that students generally perceive the ecological footprint as an abstract concept. In the following two-week design phase, the objectives and content of the game were established. The subsequent four-week development phase involved designing the game board, problem cards, biomimicry cards, and game rules, all of which were refined based on expert feedback. The implementation phase lasted three weeks. During the first week, students were introduced to both the research project and the game, and the pre-tests were administered. In the second week, students played ECO-MAP collaboratively, solved environmental problems, generated biomimicry-based solutions, and made decisions aimed at reducing their ecological footprints. Throughout this process, the researcher facilitated learning by helping students establish connections between environmental issues and everyday life. Findings demonstrated that the ECO-MAP educational game significantly improved students' environmental literacy knowledge and promoted environmentally responsible behaviors. Students described the game as enjoyable, thought-provoking, and highly instructive. Furthermore, the game proved effective in increasing students' awareness of their individual environmental responsibilities.
Tuğçe ÖZDOĞAN (Sat,) studied this question.