Cheng Jing, Lu Chen, Xiao Qiaoling
School of International Education, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China.
Front Psychol. 2025 Mar 18;16:1448916. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1448916. eCollection 2025.
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).
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.
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.
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.
在外语教育中，教育工作者面临着学生参与度下降的问题，因为传统的英语外语教学（EFL）依赖于被动的讲座和枯燥的材料，阻碍了语言 proficiency 并削弱了学习热情。游戏化已成为一种潜在的解决方案。这项基于拓展与建构理论的准实验研究，考察了游戏化对将英语作为外语（EFL）学习的中国本科生的阅读 proficiency 和外语学习乐趣（FLLE）的影响。
通过阅读评估和中国外语学习乐趣量表，从中国一所大学的220名一年级本科生中收集数据，并对从一年级本科生中挑选出的9名参与者进行访谈作为补充。
研究结果显示，游戏化对EFL阅读 proficiency 的益处显著增加。与个人享受相关的FLLE的个人维度至关重要。此外，游戏化环境提高了注意力、团队合作和沟通能力。
本研究支持将游戏化整合以提高参与度和学习成果。然而，该研究仅限于特定的背景和时间段。因此，未来的研究应确定关键的游戏化元素及其长期影响。
