CHALLENGES FACED BY TEACHERS IN APPLYING GAMIFICATION IN TEACHING ENGLISH

This study aimed to demystify the obstacles faced by English language female teachers in applying gamification strategy to develop English skills of the middle school students in Al-Taif city. The descriptive analytical approach was used to describe and analyze the phenomenon. A sample of 278 English language female teachers was randomly selected from Al-Taif schools using the stratification sampling method. Furthermore, a questionnaire, prepared by the researcher, was employed to get the necessary data from the sample members, after testing its reliability and validity. The results unveiled the multiplicity of obstacles faced by English language female teachers and limit the application of gamification. These challenges include the large number of teaching and administrative burdens, students´ overcrowding in the classrooms, weak readiness of the educational environment and its components when introducing gamification, and the high costs of designing and producing gamification into the curricula. Thus, this study urges the Education Ministry to adopt the principles of gamification in education, provide proper programs with suitable tools for that, develop teachers' abilities to employ gamification, and pay attention to the quality of programs and methods developing female teachers' skills. Moreover, it underscores the importance of providing schools with appropriate devices and tools that support the infra-structures for gamification. Significantly, the findings would provide all stakeholders with insights to understand the obstacles faced by English language teachers and the effects of gamification to overcome those obstacles.