Gamification influence on motivation in the EFL classroom

Abstract

It is undeniable that our current education is immersed in a changing world. Teachers and students both are facing different challenges posed by reality. To counterattack these challenges, one must adapt and immerse themselves by the implementation of didactic technological tools that alter traditional teaching methods. The integration of gamification in the EFL classroom can improve students’ motivation overall. The continuous transformation of teaching methods and techniques around the world has become challenging for educators in the world with globalization. Adapting to new methods can be frustrating for the grand majority since getting out of the comfort zone requires the educator to start from scratch. The era of technology demands innovative technological teaching tools that have a positive impact in the learning environment. This present study describes “gamification influence on motivation in the EFL classrooms.” This investigation was coordinated to use a qualitative and quantitative methodology by administering a validated questionnaire to a hundred and eleven students from the target population. The purpose of this questionnaire was to analyze and see how gamification influences motivation in the EFL classroom. The subjects of the questionnaire were university students of the first, second and third semesters of the Pedagogy of National and Foreign Languages (PINE) program at Universidad Técnica de Ambato. In order to analyze the data efficiently in this study the use of the IBM SPSS software was implemented. This aided in the investigation to obtained the most genuine and assertive results. Thinking about the results theyxvi determined that students do prefer having their classes gamified. Streamlined classes are monotonous with their traditional methods. Gamification expands the setting of the classroom with dynamic activities for all students. Overall, the survey results determined that gamification has a significant influence on students’ motivation since improves their overall performance in the classroom environment dynamically