Teacher Framing of Educational Gamification in Online Learning Environments: A Longitudinal Case Study

Abstract Drawing on the Technological Frames framework, this 35-week longitudinal qualitative case study investigates how teachers in online adult education contexts perceive and respond to the implementation of gamified learning technologies over time. Through three rounds of semi-structured interviews, the study examines how teachers’ interpretations of gamification developed and identifies the conditions shaping these shifts. Findings indicate a movement from initial ambivalence, focused on teacher concerns, pedagogical legitimacy, and technical complexity, towards a more pragmatic framing of gamification as a support mechanism for promoting student self-directed learning. At the same time, teachers reported persistent frictions, including the paradox that increased student engagement could also heighten demands on their own workload. The study contributes a temporally rich and ecologically grounded account of teachers’ perceptions of educational gamification, underscoring the interpretive processes through which they frame and reframe gamified technologies. It further highlights the organisational conditions that facilitate or constrain teachers’ endorsement. These insights are relevant for scholars and practitioners interested in the strategic use of gamification in adult learning environments.