Abstract:

This paper presents findings from an exploratory study examining associations between gamification and student engagement in a first-year management course at a large university. Traditional pedagogical formats, including lectures and structured tutorials, frequently fail to sustain meaningful engagement in large undergraduate cohorts where passive learning predominates. To address this challenge, gamified instructional elements, point-based team competitions, in-class challenges, leaderboards, and progress tracking were introduced during weeks five to eight of the semester. The intervention was grounded in Self-Determination Theory, targeting autonomy, competence, and relatedness through clear goals, immediate feedback, visible progress indicators, and social recognition.

A pre-post observational design was employed. Data were collected from over 1,607 students 1,034 pre-implementation; 573 post-implementation) using three validated instruments: the Higher Education Student Engagement Scale (HESES; α = 0.905), the Gameful Experience Questionnaire (GAMEFULQUEST; α = 0.972), and the Questionnaire on Motivation for Cooperative Learning Strategies (CMELAC; α = 0.931). Independent samples t-tests explored differences across phases, supplemented by learning analytics and thematic analysis of student reflections to enable methodological triangulation.

Results revealed a selective pattern of enhancement across engagement dimensions. Significant improvements were observed in cognitive engagement (M = 4.74 vs. 4.60, p = .014), social engagement with teachers (M = 4.98 vs. 4.81, p = .004), and beyond-class engagement (M = 4.18 vs. 4.03, p = .020). Students reported greater intellectual satisfaction, stronger perceptions of instructor support and feedback quality, and increased extracurricular involvement. In contrast, academic engagement, peer engagement, and affective engagement showed minimal change, while online engagement declined slightly. All seven GAMEFULQUEST dimensions, accomplishment, challenge, competition, guided experience, immersion, playfulness, and social experience, improved significantly (all p = .001), as did all sixteen motivation items (all p < .001). Quiz performance increased from 77–78% pre-intervention to 81–84% during the gamified period, with gains sustained at 83–86% in subsequent weeks. Qualitative reflections highlighted enhanced enjoyment, strengthened facilitator interactions, and improved critical thinking, though some students raised concerns about competitive pressure.

These findings position gamification as a contextually contingent pedagogical tool, effective for specific engagement dimensions when theoretically aligned and carefully designed, rather than a universal remedy for disengagement. The selective nature of the effects underscores the need for targeted design strategies. The study acknowledges important limitations, including the absence of a control group, reliance on independent rather than paired samples, and the inability to establish causal relationships. Future research should employ randomised controlled designs and examine closed-response relationships across diverse institutional contexts.

Keywords:

Gamification, Student engagement, Active learning, Higher education pedagogy, Gameful experiences.