The Impact of Game-Based Learning (GBL) on EFL Learners’ Buoyancy, Directed Motivational Currents (DMCS), and Language Learning

The teaching approach of game-based learning emphasizes the creation, improvement, and use of games for educational purposes and training to achieve specific learning goals. A quasi-experimental research study using quantitative methods was conducted to investigate the impact of Game-Based Learning on the academic resilience, Directed Motivational Currents, and language learning of English as Foreign Language (EFL) Learners. The study involved 30 pre-intermediate students from two classes at the Iran-Europe Language Institute in Tehran, with one class assigned to the experimental group and the other to the control group. To provide a baseline for comparison, the experimental group participated in game-based learning, while the control group received traditional education devoid of any game-based activities. In effect, the experimental group engaged in digital and non-digital games related to vocabulary, grammar, and other language components alongside with some real-time quizzes, whereas the control group adhered to traditional teaching procedure in instruction, revision, and mainstream quizzes, in a non-gamified context. Data were collected using the L2 Buoyancy Questionnaire and the Persian version of the Dynamic online DMC Disposition Questionnaire. Results indicated statistically significant improvements in the experimental group`s academic buoyancy, DMC, and language proficiency with effect sizes of 1.96, 0.71.272, and 0.585 respectively, compared to the control group. Derived from these findings, teachers are recommended to integrate game-based learning by incorporating interactive language tasks such as digital simulation or vocabulary games into their lesson plans, helping the students engage more with the material effectively. Furthermore, educational institutions and administrators can elevate students' knowledge quality by incorporating game-based instruction into curricula, by providing structured gamified tasks aligned with curriculum objectives to make learning more effective and engaging.