Date of Award
Fall 2024
Document Type
Open Access Dissertation
Department
Educational Studies
First Advisor
Michael Grant
Abstract
This action research study evaluated the implementation of a gamification strategy to improve academic self-efficacy and motivation in social studies students at Azul Mountain High School (a pseudonym). Keeping students engaged in school is a top priority for educators at all levels. However, students’ lack of engagement at the high-school level has become more detrimental. Improving self-efficacy has been linked to increased motivation, academic achievement, and improved learning outcomes. By making the learning experience more engaging for students, gamification may be a viable approach to the challenge of keeping students in high school. This study addressed three research questions: (a) How does a gamification strategy impact social studies students’ academic self-efficacy at Azul Mountain High School? (b) How does a gamification strategy impact social studies students’ motivation for academic achievement at Azul Mountain High School? and (c) What are Azul Mountain High School social studies students’ perceptions about a gamification strategy on their learning experience?
Participants were 10th-grade students (n = 23) at a rural school in the Southeast. Quantitative data were collected through pre-and-post survey instruments on academic self-efficacy and motivation and classroom exit tickets. Inferential statistics showed no significant change in students’ academic self-efficacy and motivation. Non-parametric Kruskal-Wallis tests from exit tickets confirmed no significant change in students’ self-efficacy toward learning and no significant change in students’ perceptions of gamification. Subsequent qualitative data came from two focus group interviews of participants (n = 6). Qualitative analysis identified three themes: (a) motivation enhanced by gamification, (b) improved self-perception of learning, and (c) increased engagement and social interaction. Interviews revealed that students expressed that gamification enhanced their self-efficacy, motivation, and understanding of social studies content. These findings indicated the impact of a gamification strategy on students’ academic self-efficacy and motivation was inconclusive.
The findings were discussed in relation to the extant literature, and implications for practice and research were included. Further research was recommended to better understand how gamification can be effectively implemented in social studies classrooms to improve learning outcomes.
Rights
© 2024, Anthony Wayne Blair Jr.
Recommended Citation
Blair Jr., A. W.(2024). “They’re Just Kinda Fun”: Action Research Evaluating the Impact of Gamification Tools on Secondary Social Studies Students’ Academic Self-Efficacy, Motivation, and Perceptions of Learning. (Doctoral dissertation). Retrieved from https://scholarcommons.sc.edu/etd/8195