Gamified Education for Students with Executive Function Disorders: A Quasi-Experimental Investigation of Technology-Enhanced Interventions

Executive function disorders (EFDs) fundamentally impair students' capacity to organize, plan, sustain attention, and regulate behavior, creating substantial barriers to academic achievement in traditional educational settings. This quasi-experimental investigation systematically evaluated the efficacy of gamified educational interventions for students with EFDs, comparing five distinct technological platforms—Mobile Applications, Virtual Environments, Augmented Reality, Intelligent Tutoring Systems, and Serious Games—against standard educational instruction. A sample of 175 participants (ages 6–17 years) with clinically diagnosed EFDs, including Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), specific learning disabilities, and related neurodevelopmental conditions, were randomly assigned to six experimental conditions. The study employed a pretest-posttest design with comprehensive assessment of academic achievement and executive function outcomes, including working memory, cognitive flexibility, inhibitory control, and planning abilities. Statistical analyses revealed significant improvements across all gamified intervention groups compared to the control condition, with effect sizes ranging from medium to large (Cohen's d = 0.65–1.23). Intelligent Tutoring Systems demonstrated the strongest effects on academic achievement (M difference = 8.45, SD = 3.21, p < .001), while Augmented Reality interventions produced the most substantial improvements in executive function composite scores (M difference = 12.34, SD = 4.56, p < .001). Mixed-model ANOVA revealed significant Group × Time interactions, F(5, 169) = 12.47, p < .001, partial η² = .27, indicating differential effectiveness across platforms. Hierarchical regression analyses identified baseline executive function severity and age as significant predictors of intervention response. These findings provide robust empirical support for gamified educational approaches as effective interventions for students with EFDs, with important implications for instructional design, assistive technology implementation, and special education policy. The study advances theoretical understanding of how game design elements scaffold executive processes and offers evidence-based guidance for technology selection and implementation in educational settings serving students with cognitive control deficits. Keywords: gamification, executive function disorders, educational technology, ADHD, autism spectrum disorder, special education, cognitive training, assistive technology, intelligent tutoring systems, augmented reality