Action Research Gamification
Action Research Gamification
Introduction
Background of the study-
Education is the transmission of knowledge, skills, and character traits and manifests in
various forms.
But Students often face a variety of challenges in education, including academic pressure,
learning difficulties, financial concerns, social issues like bullying, mental health struggles,
inadequate access to resources, and a lack of support from teachers or family, which can all
impact their learning experience and overall wellbeing.
I found that my students face many difficulties to understand science effectively. They might
memorise the concept for some time but forget it later. But they would easily remember the
science concepts that we studied through games and stories. So I conducted an action
research on how gamification can help students to understand science concepts better .
In the modern educational landscape, traditional teaching methods often struggle to keep
students engaged, especially in subjects like science, which can be complex and abstract.
Many students find scientific concepts difficult to grasp due to their theoretical nature and the
necessity of applying critical thinking skills. To address this challenge, educators have
increasingly turned to gamification—the application of game-like elements such as rewards,
challenges, interactive simulations, and competition—to make learning more engaging and
effective. In science education, gamification makes learning more interactive, engaging, and
effective.
Statement of the problem
Many students in grade 8 face problems while understanding science concepts. This paper
explores how gamification helps them understand it better.
Objectives of the study
Amna Khan and Farzana Hayat Ahmad has also conducted a research to
identify the impact of a game based learning (GBL) application using
computer technologies on student engagement in secondary school
science classrooms. The literature reveals that conventional Science
teaching techniques (teacher-centered lecture and teaching), which
foster rote learning among students, are one of the major concerns in
Education system. This leads to student disengagement in science
lessons eventually resulting in student absenteeism and dropouts from
the schools.
Bradley J Morris, Steve Croker, Corinne Zimmerman, Devin Gill, Connie Romig
in 2013 conducted a research on the impact of gamification on developing
scientific thinking skills of students. He suggested that fully developed
scientific thinking requires metacognition, and video games provide
metacognitive scaffolding in the form of constrained learning and identity
adoption.
Research design –
This study was designed with a mixed method consisting of both quantitative
and Qualitative elements. The quantitative data needed for determining the
retention of Students for learning science were obtained with science test
rating scales and surveys”, while the qualitative data based on students
motivation changes and their opinions of usage of gamified applications were
obtained by observation and interviews.
Sample and participants-
The participants of my action research are the students of class 8 in Govt. Girls
High school , g.udayagiri . I decided to research on this topic when I observed
that children were more active in the classes where games were used to show
scientific concepts. I also felt that those concepts were retained in them for
long time even after 2- 3 months while they can not even remember the
concepts I taught yesterday. Ironic!
All these tools were first administered before gamification of concepts were
used and Again after using gamified learning activities for science concepts.
Students behaviours were also observed using participatory observation
techniques.
Action plan –
I was allotted to Govt. Girls High school ,G.udayagiri for my internship program.
I am a student of pedagogy of biological science so, I was teaching biological
science to students from class 6 to class 9. All girls were very much active in
the classroom at first. But later on the enthusiasm decreased a little. So I was
a little bit worried to make my lessons more interesting and interactive . So, I
started to include more games , stories ,rewards , batches in my class. A
sudden rise in motivation and participation was seen.Thus I conducted this
action research .
I did this research particularly in class 8 . In a class I taught the metamorphosis
of frog. The students were surprised how the babies of frog resemble so much
with fishes. I taught this class by traditional methods of teaching. I showed the
diagram showing metamorphosis of frog . Then I asked the students to explain
what they saw. The class was going according to the 5E model lesson plan. But
there were still so many gaps in the students’ understandings. I conducted a
test to assess their understandings. @
Many students failed to understand the concept of metamorphosis. Also during
the class many students showed disinterest. Some students were gossiping ,
some were feeling sleepy. After some time the participation was also low.
These behaviours show how the students were not motivated to learn science.
I prepared a motivation scale to assess the motivation and interest of students
towards learning science. Fig.1.2 shows the sample of motivation scale used
.@
2. I feel confident
when solving
science problems.
3. Science is
important for my
future career
4. I like
participating in
science activities.
5. I try to
understand
scientific concepts
,even when they are
difficult.
6. I feel motivated
to learn science
outside of school.
7.I find science
topics interesting
and exciting.
8. I believe I can
perform well in
science subjects.
9. I enjoy
discussing science
topics with my
classmates.
10. I would like to
have a job related
to science.
In the Study, the “Motivation scale for learning science”, developed by Dede
and Yaman In 2008, was employed. Dede and Yaman stated that the scores in
the Scale were between 1.00 and 5.00 and, as the scores obtained from the
scale approached 5.00, the motivation levels of students were high, whereas
scores close to 1.00 showed Low motivation. In this context, it was interpreted
that as the scores obtained from this Research approached 5, motivations on
science learning increased, whereas scores Closer to 1.00 showed low
motivation. Thus, according to their responses scores were given to them.
Later on, I introduced the gamified version of metamorphosis. I told them a
story personifying a frog named “pari”. The students showed much interest
compared to the other time. They tried to learn more and more about
metamorphosis. They also asked if any other animal goes through it. The
participation was also worth seeing. I also felt slight change in their attitude
towards science.
For 4 weeks I applied the gamification method of teaching in the class. All
science classes were held with the help of quizzes, cards, rewards, interactive
games,stories, puzzles , science pictionary, etc. @puzzles @ flashcards
Again I gave them motivation scale to fill out. All students of class 8 filled out
their paper. Fig.3 shows the sample of the scale given.
Statements Strongly Disagree(2) Neutral(3) Agree(4) Strongly
disagree agree(5)
(1)
1.I enjoyed learning
science more with
gamified activities.
2.Gamification made
science lessons more
engaging.
3.I feel more confident
in solving science-
related problems after
playing educational
games.
4.The use of points,
badges, and rewards
in science class
motivated me to
participate actively.
5.I am more curious to
explore scientific
concepts because of
gamification.
6.I prefer gamified
science lessons over
traditional teaching
methods.
7.Gamification helped
me work better with
my classmates on
science activities.
8. I would like more
science topics to be
taught using
gamification.
To check the retention of the students tests were administered again. This time
the results showed higher understanding. All students of class 8 gave this test.
Data analysis-
I scored the motivation scale before and after implementing gamification in the
classroom to See their improvement. All total 25 students gave their responses.
We can compare these two results and can clearly see that gamification
improved the students’ understanding of science. After implementing
gamification in the class Students become active participants rather than
passive listeners.Intrinsic motivation grows as they enjoy the learning process.
In a traditional science class, students often engage with the subject through
lectures, textbooks, note-taking, and structured experiments. Their understanding is
typically measured through quizzes, exams, and written assignments. While some
students thrive in this structured environment, others may struggle with engagement,
retention, and application of concepts due to passive learning and a lack of
motivation.
Science is a subject that thrives on curiosity, exploration, and experimentation.
However, traditional teaching methods often struggle to maintain students’ interest
and engagement, limiting their ability to deeply understand and apply scientific
concepts.