Effects of gamification on EFL learning: a quasi-experimental study of reading proficiency and language enjoyment among Chinese undergraduates.

IF 2.6 3区心理学 Q2 PSYCHOLOGY, MULTIDISCIPLINARY

Frontiers in Psychology Pub Date : 2025-03-18 eCollection Date: 2025-01-01 DOI:10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1448916

Jing Cheng, Chen Lu, Qiaoling Xiao

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Background: In foreign language education, educators struggle with declining student engagement as traditional EFL teaching, relying on passive lectures and dull materials, hampers proficiency and dampens passion. Gamification has emerged as a potential solution. This quasi-experimental study, based on the broaden-and-build theory, examined the effects of gamification on reading proficiency and foreign language learning enjoyment (FLLE) among Chinese undergraduates studying English as a foreign language (EFL).

Methods: Data were collected from 220 first-year undergraduates at a Chinese university through reading assessments and the Chinese Foreign Language Enjoyment Scale, supplemented by interviews with nine participants picked from the first-year undergraduates.

Results: The findings revealed a significant increase in gamification's benefits for EFL reading proficiency. FLLE's private dimension, tied to personal enjoyment, was crucial. Additionally, gamified settings improved focus, teamwork, and communication.

Discussion: This study supports integrating gamification to boost engagement and outcomes. However, the study was limited to a specific context and duration. Therefore, future studies should identify key gamification elements and their long-term impact.

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背景：在外语教育中，教育工作者一直在为学生参与度下降而苦恼，因为传统的 EFL 教学依赖于被动的讲授和枯燥乏味的材料，阻碍了学生熟练掌握外语，也削弱了学生的学习热情。游戏化已成为一种潜在的解决方案。本准实验研究以 "拓宽-构建 "理论为基础，探讨了游戏化对中国本科生英语作为外语（EFL）的阅读能力和外语学习乐趣（FLE）的影响：方法：通过阅读评估和中国外语学习乐趣量表收集了中国某大学220名一年级本科生的数据，并从一年级本科生中挑选了9名参与者进行访谈：结果：研究结果表明，游戏化对提高 EFL 阅读能力的益处明显增加。FLLE 的私人维度与个人乐趣息息相关，这一点至关重要。此外，游戏化设置还提高了注意力、团队合作和沟通能力：本研究支持整合游戏化以提高参与度和成果。然而，这项研究仅限于特定的环境和持续时间。因此，未来的研究应确定游戏化的关键要素及其长期影响。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Frontiers in Psychology PSYCHOLOGY, MULTIDISCIPLINARY-

CiteScore

5.30

自引率

13.20%

发文量

7396

审稿时长

14 weeks

期刊介绍： Frontiers in Psychology is the largest journal in its field, publishing rigorously peer-reviewed research across the psychological sciences, from clinical research to cognitive science, from perception to consciousness, from imaging studies to human factors, and from animal cognition to social psychology. Field Chief Editor Axel Cleeremans at the Free University of Brussels is supported by an outstanding Editorial Board of international researchers. This multidisciplinary open-access journal is at the forefront of disseminating and communicating scientific knowledge and impactful discoveries to researchers, academics, clinicians and the public worldwide. The journal publishes the best research across the entire field of psychology. Today, psychological science is becoming increasingly important at all levels of society, from the treatment of clinical disorders to our basic understanding of how the mind works. It is highly interdisciplinary, borrowing questions from philosophy, methods from neuroscience and insights from clinical practice - all in the goal of furthering our grasp of human nature and society, as well as our ability to develop new intervention methods.