Approbation of the Gamified Learning Process Model Through Participatory Action Research

Gamification has shown the potential in developing motivation and changing behaviours. Still, research reveals that games as a learning tool are not sufficiently approbated in learning environments and longitudinal studies are rare. Theoretical objectives for gamification are essential to test in the learning environment. For this reason, The Gamified Learning Process Model developed by the author of this article was integrated into a higher education study course for future teachers with the aim of testing the model’s effectiveness in the learning environment and evaluating the development of learning motivation among students. Students were divided into a control group (n = 20), where the gamification model was not present in their learning process, and a research group (n = 63), who were offered a gamification strategy to promote attendance, attention span, positive emotions, positive associations with the subject and lecturer, and motivation to master and better understand the course content. A points system was established in which points were awarded for attending lectures, completing a game-based task after each course topic (virtual breakout rooms or quizzes), and completing the course’s final quiz (team competition). At the end of the semester, all the points were collated, and students with the highest score gained extra points in the final exam. Participatory action research was conducted to collect feedback using a student survey based on the Motivation scale of the Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire by Pintrich et al., adapting it and supplementing it with questions about the use of gamification elements and their impact on the development of motivation. The data collected were analyzed using the SPSS program and are presented in the article.