The Impact of Classroom Gamification Activities on Learners’ Engagement in Mathematics

This study investigated the extent to which classroom gamification activities affect learners’ engagement in Mathematics at Prieto-Diaz District Schools, providing evidence-based guidance for instructional improvement and learner-centered teaching practices. Specifically, the study sought to identify the different classroom gamification activities employed by teachers in teaching Mathematics, determine the extent to which these activities influence student engagement, examine learners’ attitudes toward Mathematics before and after the use of gamified activities, identify the challenges teachers face in designing, implementing, and managing gamified learning activities, and propose a Learning Action Cell session to improve teachers’ competence in effectively using gamification in Mathematics instruction.
Utilizing a mixed-methods research design, data were gathered from forty elementary school teachers across nineteen schools in the Prieto-Diaz District, including Bulawan Elementary School, Calao Elementary School, Carayat Elementary School, Gogon Elementary School, Lupi Elementary School, Manlabong Elementary School, Nenita E. Oandasan Memorial School, Prieto Diaz Central School, Quidolog Elementary School, San Antonio Elementary School, San Fernando Elementary School, San Isidro Elementary School, San Juan Elementary School, San Rafael Elementary School, San Ramon Elementary School, Santa Lourdes Elementary School, Santo Domingo Primary School, Talisayan Elementary School, and Ulag Elementary School. Data were collected through researcher-made questionnaires, with qualitative data gathered through semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions to capture teachers’ experiences, insights, and challenges in implementing gamification.
The findings revealed that Math Board Games and Card Games were the most frequently employed gamified activities, followed by Digital Quiz Platforms and Adapted Traditional Games. The extent of influence of gamified activities on student engagement was consistently High across Math Board Games and Card Games, Digital Quiz Platforms, Whiteboard or Relay Races, and Simulation Games. Learners demonstrated positive transformations from being inattentive to becoming curious problem-solvers, with the highest indicator focusing on the shift from inattentiveness to curiosity. However, teachers faced significant challenges, with the primary difficulty being the struggle to design gamified activities aligned with mathematics learning objectives, while the lowest-ranked challenge was assessing learners’ performance during gamified activities.
The study concluded that gamified learning activities significantly influence student engagement and positively transform learners’ attitudes toward Mathematics. To address the challenges identified, a Learning Action Cell session entitled Project Factor (Facilitating Active Competence Through Organized and Responsive Gamification in Mathematics): A LAC Session for Building Teacher Readiness in Gamified Math Activities was proposed to enhance teachers’ competence in effectively utilizing gamification in Mathematics instruction. Recommendations included sustaining the use of identified gamified activities, continuing integration of gamification to foster positive learner transformation, providing targeted professional development programs focused on alignment of games with learning objectives, and implementing the proposed LAC sessions to strengthen teachers’ capacity in gamification implementation.

Challenges, Gamified Learning Activities, Learner Engagement, Mathematics Instruction, Teacher Competence

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