Charlene B. Tongzon (Author)

Abstract: This study, titled “Grade 8 Students Engagement, Motivation, and Challenges in Using Gamified Learning Tools,” aims to determine if using gamified learning tools, such as Kahoot and Quizizz, will enhance student engagement, Motivation and the significant challenges encountered by the students while using the tool. The study recognizes the potential of technology in education and the benefits of gamification in math education, especially for socio-economically disadvantaged students who have experienced educational interruptions. The study employs a quantitative survey-based research design to assess the effectiveness of gamified learning tools, utilizing a total enumeration sampling technique by which all grade 8 students participate in the study. A researcher-made survey questionnaire is the primary tool for gathering data for engagement, motivation, and challenges via a Likert Scale. The study indicates that while students showed moderate engagement with gamified learning tools, females demonstrated significantly higher engagement and motivation levels compared to their male counterparts. Furthermore, a notable correlation exists between student engagement and motivation, and the challenges students face are significantly associated with their sex. The study concludes that gamified learning tools improve students’ basic math skills, especially for female students, but challenges depend on students’ sex. This research is significant because it shows how gamification can work, particularly in economically disadvantaged settings, and gives teachers practical ways to make math more engaging and effective for digital learners.

Keywords: Gamified Learning Tools, Enhancing addition and subtraction proficiency, Student Engagement, Motivation, Challenges

DOI: https://doi.org/10.69651/PIJHSS0402236

Recommended citation (APA)

Tongzon, C. B. (2025). Grade 8 students’ engagement, motivation, and challenges in using gamified learning tools. Pantao International Journal, 4(2), 2573–2586. https://doi.org/10.69651/PIJHSS0402236

Read the full text

References

Alsadoon, H. (2023). The impact of gamification on student motivation and engagement: An empirical study. Dirasat: Educational Sciences, 50(2), 386–396. https://doi.org/10.35516/edu.v50i2.255

Alt, D. (2023). Assessing the benefits of gamification in mathematics for student gameful experience and gaming motivation. Computers & Education, 200, 104806. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2023.104806

Babbie, E. R. (2020). The practice of social research (15th ed.). Engage Learning.

Bagher Khatibi, M., Badeleh, A., & Khodabandelou, R. (2021). A bibliometric analysis on the research trends of gamification in higher education: 2010–2020. The New Educational Review, 65, 17–28.

Bennani, S., Maalel, A., & Ghezala, H. B. (2021). Adaptive gamification in e-learning: A literature review and future challenges. Computer Applications in Engineering Education, 30(2), 628–642. https://doi.org/10.1002/cae.22477

Bransford, J. D., Brown, A. L., & Cocking, R. R. (2000). How people learn: Brain, mind, experience, and school. National Academy Press.

Cavus, N., Ibrahim, I., Okonkwo, M. O., Ayansina, N., & Modupeola, T. (2023). The effects of gamification in education: A systematic literature review. BRAIN: Broad Research in Artificial Intelligence and Neuroscience, 14, 211–241. https://doi.org/10.18662/brain/14.2/452

Chaloun, D. (2023). Unlocking opportunities at the crossroad of gamification and education: Market research for Saudi Arabia with a focus on Saudi-Finnish cooperation.

Charlo, J. C. P., Belova, N., Gutiérrez, E. Q., Llinares, A. Z., Arboleya-García, E., Swacha, J., López-Serentill, P., & Carmona-Medeiro, E. (2022). Preface for the special issue “Trends in educational gamification: Challenges and learning opportunities.” Education Sciences, 12(3), 179. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci12030179

Chen, Y., Wu, C., & Tang, L. (2023). Enhancing student motivation with gamified multi-representational scaffolding in online learning. Education and Information Technologies. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-023-11708-6

Che Ku Mohd, C. K. N., Mohamad, S. N. M., Sulaiman, H., Shahbodin, F., & Rahim, N. (2023). A review of gamification tools to boost students’ motivation and engagement.

Christopoulos, A., & Mystakidis, S. (2023). Gamification in education. Encyclopedia, 3, 1223–1243. https://doi.org/10.3390/encyclopedia3040089

Corrêa, P. D., & Haslam, D. (2021). Mathematical proficiency as the basis for assessment: A literature review and its potentialities. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1384844

Creswell, J. W. (2014). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches (4th ed.). Sage Publications.

Deterding, S., Dixon, D., Khaled, R., & Nacke, L. (2011). From game design elements to gamefulness: Defining “gamification.” Proceedings of the 15th International Academic MindTrek Conference: Envisioning Future Media Environments, 9–15. https://doi.org/10.1145/2181037.2181040

Duterte, J. (2024). The impact of educational gamification on student learning outcomes. International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science, 8, 477–487. https://doi.org/10.47772/IJRISS.2024.8100040

Early, K. N. (2023). Gamification of mathematics instruction: A quantitative study on student growth and proficiency in a suburban middle school. https://www.proquest.com/openview/a3177b745ed636dfa91a8e48f1e1?pq-origsite=gscholar&cbl=18750&diss=y

Ede, S. (2022). Gamification and motivation. Issues and Trends in Learning Technologies, 10. https://doi.org/10.2458/itlt.4872

Fraenkel, J. R., & Wallen, N. E. (2019). How to design and evaluate research in education (10th ed.). McGraw-Hill Education.

Graesser, A. C., Sabatini, J. P., & Li, H. (2021). Educational psychology is evolving to accommodate technology, multiple disciplines, and twenty-first-century skills. Annual Review of Psychology, 73(1), 547–574. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-psych-020821-113042

Hebebci, M. T., & Alan, S. (2021). Gamification in education: An overview of the literature. Current Studies in Social Sciences, 4(2), 174–194.

Hellín, C. J., Calles-Esteban, F., Valledor, A., Gómez, J., Otón-Tortosa, S., & Tayebi, A. (2023). Enhancing student motivation and engagement through a gamified learning environment. Sustainability, 15(19), 14119. https://doi.org/10.3390/su151914119

Hui, C., & Mahmud, R. (2023). The impact of game-based learning on mathematics education: A systematic review. Frontiers in Psychology, 14, 1105806. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1105806

Igcasama, R., Kilag, O. K., Cabonilas, L., Abarias, C. M., Abendan, C. F., & Bubuli, A. L. (2023). Enhancing numeracy: A technological approach to improve basic math skills. Excellencia: International Multi-Disciplinary Journal of Education, 1(6), 455–464. https://doi.org/10.5281/

Johnson, L., Adams Becker, S., Estrada, V., & Freeman, A. (2014). NMC Horizon Report: 2014 K–12 Edition. The New Media Consortium.

Journal of Educational Research, 126, 102380. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijer.2024.102380

Kalashnikova, L., Hrabovets, I., Chernous, L., Chorna, V., & Kiv, A. (2022). Gamification as a trend in organizing professional education of sociologists in the context of distance learning: Analysis of practices. Educational Technology Quarterly, 2022(2), 115–128. https://doi.org/10.55056/etq.2

Kapur, R. (2022). Understanding the challenges faced by students in educational institutions at all levels.

Kimble, T. (2020). The impact of gamification on the mathematics achievement of elementary students. DigitalCommons@Kennesaw State University. https://digitalcommons.kennesaw.edu/teachleaddoc_etd/43/

Lampropoulos, G., Keramopoulos, E., Diamantaras, K., & Evangelidis, G. (2022). Augmented reality and gamification in education: A systematic literature review of research, applications, and empirical studies. Applied Sciences, 12(13), 6809. https://doi.org/10.3390/app12136809

Lavoué, E., Ju, Q., Halifax, S., & Serna, A. (2021). Analyzing the relationships between learners’ motivation and observable engaged behaviors in a gamified learning environment. International Journal of Human-Computer Studies, 154, 102670. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhcs.2021.102670

Li, L., Hew, K. F., & Du, J. (2024). Gamification enhances student intrinsic motivation, perceptions of autonomy and relatedness, but has minimal impact on competency: A meta-analysis and systematic review. Educational Technology Research and Development, 72, 765–796. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11423-023-10337-7

Li, M., Ma, S., & Shi, Y. (2023). Examining the effectiveness of gamification as a tool promoting teaching and learning in educational settings: A meta-analysis. Frontiers in Psychology, 14. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1253549

Luo, Z. (2021). Gamification for educational purposes: What are the factors contributing to varied effectiveness? Education and Information Technologies, 27(1), 891–915. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-021-10642-9

Matildo, E. L., & Dagondon, R. (2022). Challenges encountered by students in flexible learning: The case of the Philippines during pandemic. Heart, Lung and Circulation, 321–325.

McLaren, B. M., Adams, D. M., Mayer, R. E., & Forlizzi, J. (2017). A computer-based game that promotes mathematics learning more than a conventional approach. International Journal of Artificial Intelligence in Education, 27(1), 159–190. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40593-015-0089-8

Mirzaie Feiz Abadi, B., Khalili Samani, N., Akhlaghi, A., Najibi, S., & Bolourian, M. (2022). Pros and cons of tomorrow’s learning: A review of literature of gamification in education context. Medical Education Bulletin, 3(4), 543–554.

Muhammad, N., Siddique, A., Jabeen, S., & Akhtar, M. (2023). Academic motivation and engagement: A correlational study of students’ perspective at secondary school level. Journal of Social Sciences Review, 3, 852–863. https://doi.org/10.54183/jssr.v3i2.315

Mustafa, F., Nguyen, H. T. M., & Gao, X. (2024). The challenges and solutions of technology integration in rural schools: A systematic literature review.

Nacional, R. (2023). Gamifying education: Enhancing student engagement and motivation, 5, 716–729.

Nkomo, L. M., Daniel, B. K., & Butson, R. J. (2021). Synthesis of student engagement with digital technologies: A systematic review of the literature. International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education, https://doi.org/10.1186/s41239-021-00270-1

Ortiz, E. A., Cristia, J. P., & Cueto, S. (2020). Learning mathematics in the 21st century: Adding technology to the equation.

Ozhan, Ş. Ç., & Kocadere, S. A. (2019). The effects of flow, emotional engagement, and motivation on success in a gamified online learning environment. Journal of Educational Computing Research, 57(8), 2006–2031. https://doi.org/10.1177/0735633118823159

Quynh, N., Hoai, N., & Thu, N. (2021). The roles of student engagement motivations in learning and managing. International Journal for Innovation Educational Research, 9, 223–234. https://doi.org/10.31686/jier.vol9iss4.304

Ratinho, E., & Martins, C. (2023). The role of gamified learning strategies in students’ motivation in high school and higher education: A systematic review. Heliyon, 9(8), e19033. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e19033

Rivera, E. S., & Garden, C. L. P. (2021). Gamification for student engagement: A framework. Journal of Further and Higher Education, 45(7), 999–1012. https://doi.org/10.1080/0309877X.2021.1875201

Sabornido, E., Garma, V., Niepes, G., & Cabria, F. (2022). Key challenges and barriers in gamification: A systematic review. Asia Pacific Journal of Advanced Education and Technology, 1, 13–19. https://doi.org/10.54476/apjaetv1i1mar20221054

Saleem, A. N., Noori, N. M., & Ozdamli, F. (2021). Gamification applications in e-learning: A literature review. Technology, Knowledge and Learning, 27(1), 139–159. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10758-020-09487-x

Sanchez, E., Van Oostendorp, H., Fijnheer, J. D., & Lavoué, E. (2020). Gamification. In Springer eBooks (pp. 816–827). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-10576-1_38

Smiderle, R., Rigo, S. J., Marques, L. B., et al. (2020). The impact of gamification on students’ learning, engagement, and behavior based on their personality traits. Smart Learning Environments, 7(3). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40561-019-0098-x

Sylvester, C., & Kiu Publication. (2024). Gamification in education: Enhancing student engagement and learning outcomes, 3, 84–87.

Taşkın, N., & Çakmak, E. K. (2022). Effects of gamification on behavioral and cognitive engagement of students in the online learning environment. International Journal of Human-Computer Interaction, 39(17), 3334–3345. https://doi.org/10.1080/10447318.2022.2096190

Trinidad, M., Calderon, A., & Ruiz, M. (2021). Go Race: A multi-context and narrative-based gamification suite to overcome gamification technological challenges. IEEE Access, 9, 65882–65905. https://doi.org/10.1109/access.2021.3076291

Wulan, D., Nainggolan, D., Hidayat, Y., Rohman, T., & Fiyul, A. (2024). Exploring the benefits and challenges of gamification in enhancing student learning outcomes. Global International Journal of Innovative Research, 2, 1657–1674. https://doi.org/10.59613/global.v2i7.238

Xavier, B., & Thankachan, T. C. (2024). Unlocking potential: A study on the enhancing effects of gamification on problem-solving in secondary school students, 13, 72.

Recommended Citation (APA)