Bridging the Attitude–Behaviour Gaps in Water Sustainability through Digital Gamification: A Quantitative Study in Sarawak, Malaysia

Digital gamification is increasingly recognised as an innovative pedagogical strategy for promoting pro-environmental behaviours among students. However, its effectiveness in translating positive environmental attitudes into consistent behavioural outcomes remains underexplored, particularly within Southeast Asia. This study investigates whether a gamified learning environment can enhance the alignment between attitudes and sustainable water-use behaviours among urban secondary school students in Malaysia. Employing a quasi-experimental design, 63 Form 1 students from two public high schools participated in an eight-week intervention. The treatment group engaged with a gamified module delivered through Minecraft Education Edition, while the control group received conventional instruction. Pre- and post-test questionnaires assessed students’ attitudes and behaviours toward water sustainability. Findings reveal a stronger correlation between attitude and behaviour in the treatment group (r = .647, p = .001) than in the control group (r = .538, p = .002), suggesting that gamification supports improved attitudinal-behavioural alignment. These results underscore the pedagogical potential of digital gamification in bridging the attitude–behaviour gap and promoting sustainable practices among students. Future research should adopt longitudinal and mixed methods approaches to evaluate the long-term impacts and generalizability across diverse educational contexts.