THE IMPACT OF GAMIFICATION ON MOTIVATION AND ENGAGEMENT AMONG ENGLISH-MAJOR STUDENTS AT DONG NAI TECHNOLOGY UNIVERSITY

Abstract

This study investigates the impact of gamification on student motivation and engagement in English language classrooms, focusing on 141 English major students at Dong Nai Technology University. Recently, gamification, which involves incorporating game design elements such as points, badges, leaderboards, and challenges into non-game environments, has emerged as a popular method to improve learning experiences. This study utilized a quasi-experimental design, and divided the participants into control and experimental groups. Over eight weeks, the experimental group was taught using gamified elements, while the control group experienced traditional teaching methods. Data collection involved pre- and postintervention surveys using the Intrinsic Motivation Inventory (IMI) and the Student Engagement Scale (SES), as well as classroom observations and focus group interviews. The findings revealed that students who experienced gamified instruction demonstrated significantly higher motivation and engagement levels than those in the control group. These results indicate that gamification can be an effective teaching strategy to boost learner motivation and active participation in English language classrooms, particularly in Vietnamese tertiary education contexts.