Gamification strategies in primary education and their impact on the development of mathematical and communication skills
Abstract
This study examined the impact of gamification on mathematics and communication skills in third-grade students in Peru, using an experimental design with a non-probabilistic sample of 71 children (control group: n = 37, experimental group: n = 34). The mean age was 8.5 years (SD = 0.5) in the control group and 8.3 years (SD = 0.6) in the experimental group. An adapted exam from the Peruvian Ministry of Education’s diagnostic test and a self-report of gamification hours were applied. The results showed that the control group did not present significant differences (p > 0.05), while the experimental group did (p < 0.001), with effect sizes between 0.62 and 0.67. The Bonferroni post hoc analysis confirmed significant improvements in mathematics (ΔM = 2.5) and communication (ΔM = 3.0). These findings suggest that gamification, by incorporating playful and motivational elements, can transform the learning process by increasing student engagement and interest, leading to better academic performance in critical areas such as mathematics and communication.
Keywords
gamification, academic competencies, mathematics, communication, primary educationReferences
ALAM, A. y MOHANTY, A. (2023). Educational technology: Exploring the convergence of technology and pedagogy through mobility, interactivity, AI, and learning tools. Cogent Engineering, 10(2). https://doi.org/10.1080/23311916.2023.2283282
ALSAAD, F. M. y DURUGBO, C. M. (2021). Gamification-as-innovation: A review. International Journal of Innovation and Technology Management, 18(5). https://doi.org/10.1142/s0219877021300020
ANICAMA SILVA, J. C. (2020). Influencia de la gamificación en el rendimiento académico de los estudiantes de la Universidad Autónoma del Perú semestre 2019-I. Universidad de San Martín de Porres.
ARUFE-GIRÁLDEZ, V., SANMIGUEL-RODRÍGUEZ, A., RAMOS-ÁLVAREZ, O. y NAVARRO-PATÓN, R. (2022). Gamification in Physical Education: A Systematic Review. Education Sciences, 12(8), 540. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci12080540
BACHTIAR, B. (2024). Insights into Classroom Dynamics: Indonesian EFL Teachers’ Self-Efficacy in Instructional Strategies. Jurnal Basicedu, 8(1), 837-848. https://doi.org/10.31004/basicedu.v8i1.7208
BAKHANOVA, E., GARCIA, J. A., RAFFE, W. L. y VOINOV, A. (2020). Targeting social learning and engagement: What serious games and gamification can offer to participatory modeling. Environmental Modelling and Software, 134(104846). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envsoft.2020.104846
BARRERA JIMÉNEZ, Y. A., MANTILLA, Í. y MONTES MIRANDA, A. J. (2023). Recursos educativos digitales mediados por la gamificación para mejorar el aprendizaje de las matemáticas en estudiantes de primaria del Centro Educativo Gimnasio Pedagógico Marianito - Boyacá, Colombia. Dialogus, 11, 69-87. https://doi.org/10.37594/dialogus.v1i11.831
BILETSKA, I. O., PALADIEVA, A. F., AVCHINNIKOVA, H. D. y KAZAK, Y. Y. (2021). Use of modern technologies by foreign language teachers: Developing digital skills. Lingcure, 5(S2), 16-27. https://doi.org/10.21744/lingcure.v5ns2.1327
CALDERÓN ARÉVALO, M. Y., FLORES MEJÍA, G. S., RUIZ PÉREZ, A. y CASTILLO OLSSON, S. E. (2022). Gamificación en la comprensión lectora de los estudiantes en tiempos de pandemia en Perú. Revista de Ciencias Sociales, 28(5), 63-74. https://doi.org/10.31876/rcs.v28i.38145
CHANS, G. M. y PORTUGUEZ CASTRO, M. (2021). Gamification as a Strategy to Increase Motivation and Engagement in Higher Education Chemistry Students. Computers, 10(10), 132. https://doi.org/10.3390/computers10100132
CHEN, M.-F., CHEN, Y.-C., ZUO, P.-Y. y HOU, H.-T. (2023). Design and evaluation of a remote synchronous gamified mathematics teaching activity that integrates multi-representational scaffolding and a mind tool for gamified learning. Education and Information Technologies, 28(10), 13207-13233. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-023-11708-6
CHEN, P.-Z., CHANG, T.-C. y WU, C.-L. (2022). Class of Oz: Role-play gamification integrated into classroom management motivates elementary students to learn. Educational Studies, 50(3), 1-16. https://doi.org/10.1080/03055698.2022.2081788
EZECHI, N. (2023). Exploring the relationship between video game engagement and adolescent wellness: A multidimensional analysis. IJAHA, 8(8), 16-29. https://norislab.com/index.php/IJAHA/article/view/29
FARLEY, I. A. y BURBULES, N. C. (2022). Online education viewed through an equity lens: Promoting engagement and success for all learners. Review of Education, 10(3). https://doi.org/10.1002/rev3.3367
FERGUSON, C. J. y COLWELL, J. (2020). Lack of consensus among scholars on the issue of video game “addiction”. Psychology of Popular Media, 9(3), 359-366. https://doi.org/10.1037/ppm0000243
FIŞ ERÜMIT, S. y KARAKUŞ YILMAZ, T. (2022). Gamification Design in Education: What Might Give a Sense of Play and Learning? Technology, Knowledge and Learning, 27(4), 1039-1061. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10758-022-09604-y
FITRIA, T. N. (2022). Using game design techniques (gamification) in teaching and learning process: A review. Prosiding Seminar Nasional & Call for Paper STIE AAS, 5(1), 1-18.
FRAGA-VARELA, F., VILA-COUÑAGO, E. y MARTÍNEZ-PIÑEIRO, E. (2021). The impact of serious games in mathematics fluency: A study in Primary Education. Comunicar, 29(69), 125-135. https://doi.org/10.3916/c69-2021-10
GARCÍA COLLANTES, D. E. (2020). Gamificación y competencias matemáticas en los estudiantes de 6to grado de la IE 2071 César Vallejo, Los Olivos 2019. Universidad César Vallejo.
GIL-ACIRON, L. A. (2024). The gamer psychology: A psychological perspective on game design and gamification. Interactive Learning Environments, 32(1), 183-207. https://doi.org/10.1080/10494820.2022.2082489
GUEVARA, G. A., MADARIAGA, L. C., REYES, C. A. y ZULETA, C. A. (2023). Gamificación para el desarrollo del aprendizaje de las operaciones matemáticas en tercero básico. CIT Información Tecnológica, 34(4), 31-44. https://doi.org/10.4067/s0718-07642023000400031
HOLGUIN-ALVAREZ, J., APAZA-QUISPE, J., CRUZ-MONTERO, J., RUIZ SALAZAR, J. M. y HUAITA ACHA, D. M. (2022). Gamificación mixta con videojuegos y plataformas educativas: Un estudio sobre la demanda cognitiva matemática. Digital Education Review, 42, 136-153. https://doi.org/10.1344/der.2022.42.136-153
KÄRKI, T., MCMULLEN, J. y LEHTINEN, E. (2022). Improving rational number knowledge using the NanoRoboMath digital game. Educational Studies in Mathematics, 110(3), 101-123. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10649-021-10120-6
KIM, J. y CASTELLI, D. M. (2021). Effects of gamification on behavioral change in education: A meta-analysis. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(7), 3550. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18073550
KRATH, J., SCHÜRMANN, L. y VON KORFLESCH, H. F. O. (2021). Revealing the theoretical basis of gamification: A systematic review and analysis of theory in research on gamification, serious games and game-based learning. Computers in Human Behavior, 125(106963). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2021.106963
KRISHNAMURTHY, K., SELVARAJ, N., GUPTA, P., CYRIAC, B., DHURAIRAJ, P., ABDULLAH, A., KRISHNAPILLAI, A., LUGOVA, H., HAQUE, M., XIE, S. y ANG, E.-T. (2022). Benefits of gamification in medical education. Clinical Anatomy, 35(6), 795-807. https://doi.org/10.1002/ca.23916
LAINE, T. H. y LINDBERG, R. S. N. (2020). Designing Engaging Games for Education: A Systematic Literature Review on Game Motivators and Design Principles. IEEE Transactions on Learning Technologies, 13(4), 804-821. https://doi.org/10.1109/TLT.2020.3018503
LAMPROPOULOS, G., KERAMOPOULOS, E., DIAMANTARAS, K. y EVANGELIDIS, G. (2022). Augmented Reality and Gamification in Education: A Systematic Literature Review of Research, Applications, and Empirical Studies. Applied Sciences (Basel), 12(13), 6809. https://doi.org/10.3390/app12136809
LIM, C. P., RA, S., CHIN, B. y WANG, T. (2020). Leveraging information and communication technologies (ICT) to enhance education equity, quality, and efficiency: Case studies of Bangladesh and Nepal. Educational Media International, 57(1), 87-111. https://doi.org/10.1080/09523987.2020.1786774
LLORENTE, L. D., GÓMEZ, E. A. V. y VILLAMIZAR, S. C. (2020). Gamificación como estrategia pedagógica medida por TIC en educacion básica primaria. Revista Colombiana de Tecnologías de Avanzada (RCTA), 2(34), 111-116. https://ojs.unipamplona.edu.co/index.php/rcta/article/view/71
LLORENTE-CEJUDO, C., PALACIOS-RODRÍGUEZ, A. y FERNÀNDEZ SCAGLIUSI, V. (2022). Learning landscapes and educational Breakout for the development of digital skills of teachers in training. Interaction Design & Architecture(s) Journal, 53, 176-190. https://doi.org/10.55612/s-5002-053-009
LÓPEZ-MARI, M., MARTÍN-ALONSO, Á. S. y PEIRATS-CHACÓN, J. (2022). De los videojuegos a la gamificación como estrategia metodológica inclusiva. Revista Colombiana de Educación, 84. https://doi.org/10.17227/rce.num84-12518
MANZANO-LEÓN, A., CAMACHO-LAZARRAGA, P., GUERRERO, M. A., GUERRERO-PUERTA, L., AGUILAR-PARRA, J. M., TRIGUEROS, R. y ALIAS, A. (2021). Between level up and game over: A systematic literature review of gamification in education. Sustainability, 13(4), 2247. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13042247
MARTÍN, A. P., MARTÍN, D. D., SANZ, J. M. y MARTÍN, E. R. (2014). Experiencias de aplicación de estrategias de gamificación a entornos de aprendizaje universitario. ReVisión: Revista de Investigación en Docencia Universitaria de la Informática, 7(2), 76-92.
MORALES-MAURE, L., GARCÍA-MARIMÓN, O., TORRES-RODRÍGUEZ, A. y LEBRIJA-TREJOS, A. (2018). Habilidades Cognitivas a través de la Estrategia de Aprendizaje Cooperativo y Perfeccionamiento Epistemológico en Matemática de Estudiantes de Primer Año de Universidad. Formación Universitaria, 11(2), 45-56. https://doi.org/10.4067/S0718-50062018000200045
MOSEIKINA, M., TOKTAMYSOV, S. y DANSHINA, S. (2022). Modern Technologies and Gamification in Historical Education. Simulation & Gaming, 53(2), 135-156. https://doi.org/10.1177/10468781221075965
NADA, N. Q., RIZQA, M., HERLAMBANG, B. A., HARJANTA, A. T. e IBRAHIM, M. A. (2022). Building a Learning Management System which Features Gamification of Appreciative Inquiry for a Remote Elementary School in Indonesia. KnE Social Sciences, 71-77.
NAVARRO-ESPINOSA, J. A., VAQUERO-ABELLÁN, M., PEREA-MORENO, A.-J., PEDRÓS-PÉREZ, G., MARTÍNEZ-JIMÉNEZ, M. del P. y APARICIO-MARTÍNEZ, P. (2022). Gamification as a Promoting Tool of Motivation for Creating Sustainable Higher Education Institutions. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(5), 2599. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19052599
PAAVILAINEN, J. (2020). Defining playability of games. Proceedings of the 23rd International Conference on Academic Mindtrek, 55-64. https://doi.org/10.1145/3377290.3377309
PARENTE, D. (2016). Gamificación en la educación. Gamificación en Aulas Universitarias, 11, 15.
PUTZ, L.-M., HOFBAUER, F. y TREIBLMAIER, H. (2020). Can gamification help to improve education?: Findings from a longitudinal study. Computers in Human Behavior, 110, 106392. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2020.106392
RAPANTA, C., BOTTURI, L., GOODYEAR, P., GUÀRDIA, L. y KOOLE, M. (2021). Balancing technology, Pedagogy and the New Normal: Post-pandemic Challenges for Higher Education. Postdigital Science and Education, 3(3), 715-742. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42438-021-00249-1
ROCHA, M. y DONDIO, P. (2021). Effects of a videogame in math performance and anxiety in primary school. International Journal of Serious Games, 8(3), 45-70. https://doi.org/10.17083/ijsg.v8i3.434
SÁNCHEZ, E. H. y COLOMO-PALACIOS, R. (2012). La Gamificación como agente de cambio en la Ingeniería del Software. Revista de Procesos y Métricas de las tecnologías de la información, 9(2), 30-56.
SERHIIEVA, O., BROIAKO, N., DOROFIEIEVA, V., KAPLUN, T., SHCHERBAK, I. y GOROZHANKINA, O. (2022). Category of the Epic as a Part of the Theoretical Paradigm of Contemporary Musicology. Postmodern Openings, 13(1), 351-362. https://doi.org/10.18662/po/13.1/400
TEJEDOR, S., CERVI, L., PÉREZ-ESCODA, A., TUSA, F. y PAROLA, A. (2021). Higher Education Response in the Time of Coronavirus: Perceptions of Teachers and Students, and Open Innovation. Journal of Open Innovation, 7(1), 43. https://doi.org/10.3390/joitmc7010043
TRINH, M. P., CHICO, R. J. y REED, R. M. (2023). How Fun Overcame Fear: The Gamification of a Statistics Course. Journal of Management Education. https://doi.org/10.1177/10525629231181120
UZ BILGIN, C. y GUL, A. (2020). Investigating the Effectiveness of Gamification on Group Cohesion, Attitude, and Academic Achievement in Collaborative Learning Environments. TechTrends, 64(1), 124-136. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11528-019-00442-x
VILLARROEL, R., SANTA MARÍA, H., QUISPE, V. y VENTOSILLA, D. (2021). La gamificación como respuesta desafiante para motivar las clases en educación secundaria en el contexto de COVID-19. Revista Innova Educación, 3(1), 6-19. https://doi.org/10.35622/j.rie.2021.01.001
XIAO, Y. y HEW, K. F. T. (2024). Intangible rewards versus tangible rewards in gamified online learning: Which promotes student intrinsic motivation, behavioural engagement, cognitive engagement and learning performance? British Journal of Education Technology, 55(1), 297-317. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjet.13361
ZAINUDDIN, Z., CHU, S. K. W., SHUJAHAT, M. y PERERA, C. J. (2020). The impact of gamification on learning and instruction: A systematic review of empirical evidence. Educational Research Review, 30(100326). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.edurev.2020.100326
ZENG, J., PARKS, S. y SHANG, J. (2020). To learn scientifically, effectively, and enjoyably: A review of educational games. Human Behavior Emerging Technologies, 2(2), 186-195. https://doi.org/10.1002/hbe2.188
ZOURMPAKIS, A. I., PAPADAKIS, S. y KALOGIANNAKIS, M. (2022). Education of preschool and elementary teachers on the use of adaptive gamification in science education. International Journal of Technology Enhanced Learning, 14(1), 1. https://doi.org/10.1504/ijtel.2022.120556
Published
Downloads
Copyright (c) 2025 Juan José Soza Herrera
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
