Game-based learning and its impact on students’ motivation and academic performance

Game-based learning (GBL) is a new teaching approach that is gaining popularity in higher education. This research aims to explore the impact of using a web-based tool to teach English vocabulary and grammar skills to English as a second language (ESL) learners, with a specific focus on assessing its impacts on motivation and academic performance. Fifty (17–19 years old) undergraduate engineering students from a private university in Chennai, India, enrolled in an English grammar and vocabulary development course, participated in the study; 25 were assigned to the control group, and the remaining 25 were assigned to the experimental group. Using a mixed-methods research design, pre-and postintervention tests were conducted, and the data were analyzed via SPSS. The findings revealed that the use of a Baamboozle game-based intervention significantly improved academic performance, especially vocabulary and grammar. Student perceptions and interviews highlighted the role of customized game-based instruction in enhancing motivation, engagement, and positive attitudes, which aligns with previous research. This underscores the potential of GBL in language education, encouraging educators and researchers to incorporate it to enhance language learning outcomes.