Gamification as an Effective Strategy for Improving Primary School Students' Social Skills

<ns7:p>Background This study examines the effectiveness of gamification in improving the social skills of primary school students. In the educational context, social skills are crucial competencies that support both academic and emotional development. However, many schools still use traditional teaching methods that focus on cognitive aspects and do not provide enough space for meaningful social interactions. This study aims to fill this gap by testing whether gamification can enhance students’ social skills compared to conventional teaching methods. Methods The sample consisted of 30 primary school students from SDN Palumbonsari II, Indonesia and data were collected using a closed questionnaire consisting of 24 items that measure various aspects of social skills. The study employed a one-group pretest-posttest design. Result The results show that gamification significantly improved students’ social skills scores. Statistical analysis, including descriptive statistics and a paired t-test, showed a significant increase in social skills scores from 65.50 (SD = 2.675) in the pretest to 81.80 (SD = 3.863) in the posttest. The paired t-test showed a t-value of -28.514 with a p-value of 0.000 (p &lt; 0.05), and the effect size (Cohen's d = 5.20) indicated a very large practical significance. Conclusions These findings demonstrate that gamification creates a more interactive and enjoyable learning environment, enhances student motivation, and improves their social skills.However, due to the absence of a control group, these results should be interpreted as preliminary evidence. Further research with more rigorous experimental designs is needed to establish causal relationships. These findings are expected to serve as a foundation for developing curricula and teaching practices that support the social and emotional development of students.</ns7:p>