EFFECTIVENESS OF A GAMIFIED INTERACTIVE RESPONSE SYSTEM FOR ENHANCING PRIMARY SCIENCE EDUCATION

Primary school students of the digital generation often struggle to maintain motivation and engagement, especially under static and non-interactive teaching strategies, underscoring the need for more effective educational approaches. This quasi-experimental study examined whether integrating a gamified interactive response system, Blooket, into a sixth-grade natural science curriculum could enhance students' self-determined motivation and learning effectiveness. The experimental group (n = 52) completed online Blooket quizzes, while the control group (n = 52) took paper-and-pencil tests. Both were administered as formative assessments following the teaching sessions. Data were collected using a self-determined motivation scale and a learning effectiveness test. A self-determined motivation scale was developed specifically for this study, with strong construct validity and satisfactory model fit confirmed through exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses. The results indicated that Blooket significantly enhanced self-determined motivation and improved learning effectiveness in the experimental group. Additionally, students reported increased interest in learning and improved classroom dynamics. These findings suggest that gamified interactive response systems have the potential to enhance educational practices by effectively engaging students. Future research should examine the long-term effects and limitations of such systems across diverse educational contexts. Keywords: gamified interactive response system, learning effectiveness, primary natural science education, self-determined motivation