Using Gamification to Enhance ESL Learners' Motivation in the Secondary School Context

Abstract

This action research centers around gamification, a relatively recent and promising approach that involves incorporating game concepts into non-game situations to increase motivation. The main purpose of this study is to investigate the impact of using gamification to enhance ESL learners’ motivation in the secondary school context. The research design employed is quantitative; whereby the research questions were answered using pre and post-test questionnaires to assess changes in motivation, along with survey questionnaires to explore students’ demographics and perceptions related to accomplishment, challenge, competition, guided experience, immersion, playfulness, and social interaction. The key motivational factors investigated include intrinsic motivation, self-determination, self-efficacy, grade motivation, and career motivation. The data collection tools of this study are the Likert-scale structured questionnaires and pre- and post-test questionnaires, which measure motivational variables and how well gamified learning motivated them to learn. There were 55 ESL learners, namely 28 students from Form 1 students and 27 students from Form 2 in a Malaysian secondary school. The purposive sampling technique was utilized to choose the participants, whereby the sample were students who had engaged in ESL learning and had undergone the gamified lessons within a set period. The findings are intended to provide details about effective educational practices and drive future efforts for incorporating gamification into ESL instruction.