Educational gamification in the adult population with intellectual disabilities: An exploratory qualitative analysis of an intervention program from the teacher's perspective

Abstract The adoption of programs based on gamification mediated by digital technology presents an intriguing option for enhancing education in the context of special education. The objective of this study was to comprehend the perspectives of teachers who designed, implemented and assessed a gamified intervention program for adults with disabilities and to examine how their teaching practices evolved following training in educational gamification. This research employed a qualitative approach to gather insights from 13 teachers. They received specialised training and implemented the educational program over an 8‐month period. Semi‐structured interviews were conducted. Results indicate that gamification can have a positive impact on the learning of individuals with intellectual disabilities. The primary change in teaching pedagogy was the increased and more diversified attention provided by teachers, along with heightened teacher feedback. Despite these advances, 4 of the 13 informants explicitly pointed out an aesthetic mismatch due to a certain infantilization as a major impediment to the students' self‐concept and autonomy. However, these outcomes arise from a convenience sample recruited from a single vocational centre; consequently, their generalisability remains tentative. The training program succeeded in increasing student participation and motivation, potentially leading to greater initiative and autonomy. Nevertheless, the present findings should be interpreted in light of the study's exclusive reliance on teacher‐reported data, a constraint that future mixed‐methods work will redress by integrating objective ClassDojo metrics and learner feedback.