Development of blended training model using gamification to develop early childhood teachers' knowledge and abilities in organizing English language experiences for early childhood children
Main Article Content
Abstract
This research aimed to develop and examine the effects of a blended training model incorporating gamification to enhance early childhood teachers’ knowledge and competencies in organizing English learning experiences for young children. The sample group consisted of 30 early childhood teachers teaching kindergarten levels 1 to 3 in schools located in Pathumthani Province, representing three different educational affiliations, and were selected through stratified random sampling. The research instruments included: (1) an assessment form for teachers’ knowledge and competencies in organizing English learning experiences, and (2) a questionnaire to measure teachers’ satisfaction with the blended training model. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics (mean and standard deviation) and a t-test at the .01 level of statistical significance. Research Findings: (1) the training model combined online and face-to-face learning approaches with gamification elements to motivate teachers to improve their knowledge and competencies. The training process consisted of three main stages: (a) online learning and analysis of target children; (b) designing and planning English learning activities through game-based methods; and (c) implementation, including real classroom teaching, video recording, and reflective sessions with experts. (2) The results showed a significant improvement in the teachers’ knowledge, increasing from a moderate level (M=6.52, SD=3.24) to a good level (M=13.27, SD=2.89), and their competencies increased from a good level (M=10.70, SD=0.62) to a higher good level (M=11.91, SD=0.55).The improvement in both knowledge and competencies was statistically significant at the .01 level. The findings indicate that the blended training program incorporating gamification effectively enhanced the knowledge and ability of early childhood teachers in organizing English language learning experiences for preschool children.
Article Details

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
หากผู้เสนอบทความมีความจำเป็นเร่งด่วนในการตีพิมพ์โปรดส่งลงตีพิมพ์ในวารสารฉบับอื่นแทน โดยกองบรรณาธิการจะไม่รับบทความหากผู้เสนอบทความไม่ปฏิบัติตามเงื่อนไขและขั้นตอนที่กำหนดอย่างเคร่งครัด ข้อมูลของเนื้อหาในบทความถือเป็นลิขสิทธิ์ของ Journal of Inclusive and Innovative Education คณะศึกษาศาสตร์ มหาวิทยาลัยเชียงใหม่
References
Banfield, J., & Wilkerson, B. (2014). Increasing student engagement and retention using classroom gamification: A study of the effects of badges on student engagement and motivation. Journal of Education and Learning, 3(2), 1–13.
Barata, G., Gama, S., Jorge, J., & Gonçalves, D. (2013). Improving student creativity with gamification and virtual worlds. In Proceedings of the First International Conference on Gameful Design, Research, and Applications (pp. 95–98). New York: ACM.
Chomsky, N. (1959). Review of Skinner’s Verbal Behavior. Language, 35(1), 26–58.
Creswell, J. W. (2012). Educational research: Planning, conducting, and evaluating quantitative and qualitative research (4th ed.). Boston: Pearson Education.
Deterding, S., Dixon, D., Khaled, R., & Nacke, L. (2011). From game design elements to gamefulness: Defining “gamification.” In A. Lugmayr, H. Franssila, C. Safran, & I. Hammouda (Eds.), Proceedings of the 15th International Academic MindTrek Conference: Envisioning Future Media Environments (pp. 9–15). New York: ACM.
Dominguez, A., Saenz-de-Navarrete, J., De-Marcos, L., Fernandez-Sanz, L., Pages, C., & Martinez-Herraiz, J. (2012). Gamifying learning experiences: Practical implications and outcomes. Computers & Education, 63, 380–392.
Ellis, R. (2014). Exploring language pedagogy through second language acquisition research. London: Routledge.
Foreman, J. (2012). Game-based learning: How to delight and instruct in the 21st century. Boulder, CO: Learning Circuits.
Garrison, D. R., & Kanuka, H. (2004). Blended learning: Uncovering its transformative potential in higher education. The Internet and Higher Education, 7(2), 95–105.
Glover, I. (2013). Play as you learn: Gamification as a technique for motivating learners. In Herrington, J., Couros, A. and Irvine, V., Eds., Proceedings of World Conference on Educational Multimedia, Hypermedia and Telecommunications, AACE, Chesapeake (pp.1999-2008). Victoria, BC: AACE.
Graham, C. R. (2006). Blended learning systems: Definition, current trends, and future directions. In C. J. Bonk & C. R. Graham (Eds.), The handbook of blended learning: Global perspectives, local designs (pp. 3–21). San Francisco: Pfeiffer Publishing.
Guskey, T. R. (2002). Professional development and teacher change. Teachers and Teaching: Theory and Practice, 8(3), 381–391.
Joyce, B., & Showers, B. (2002). Student achievement through staff development (3rd ed.). Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision & Curriculum Deve (ASCD).
Kim, B. (2013). Game mechanics, dynamics, and aesthetics. Library Technology Reports, 49(8), 17–19.
Korthagen, F. A. J. (2010). How teacher education can make a difference. Journal of Education for Teaching, 36(4), 407–423.
Lee, J., & Lee, K. (2020). Effects of early childhood teachers’ media-utilization training on the design of language learning environments. International Journal of Early Childhood Education, 26(3), 45–62.
Lenneberg, E. H. (1967). Biological foundations of language. New York: Wiley.
Lin, Y., Chien, C.-W., & Lee, S.-Y. (2022). Enhancing preschool teachers’ English teaching skills through
interactive professional development programs. Early Childhood Education Journal, 50(1), 95–108.
Marksap, O., Phruttikul, S., & Sucher, S. (2021). Effects of English language experience management based on Whole Language approach with code-switching technique to enhance listening and speaking abilities of preschoolers. Journal of Education, Burapha University, 32(2), 59–74.
Naka, P. (2019). Online learning design for teacher professional development. Journal of Education Studies, 42(1), 102–115.
Partnership for 21st Century Skills. (2015). Framework for 21st century learning. Retrieved from https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED519462.pdf
Phromwong, C. (2012). Early childhood education management: Theory and practice. Bangkok: Chulalongkorn University Press.
Simões, J., Redondo, R. D., & Vilas, A. F. (2013). A social gamification framework for a K-6 learning platform. Computers in Human Behavior, 29(2), 345–353.
Srisong, A. (2016). Blended training for in-service teachers: A new approach for professional development. Journal of Educational Innovation, 18(2), 45–58.
Tabors, P. O. (2008). One child, two languages: A guide for early childhood educators of children learning English as a second language (2nd ed.). Baltimore, Maryland: Brookes Publishing.
Tang, S., Wang, S., & Norman, E. (2021). Gamification in teacher professional development: Enhancing preschool teachers’ engagement and instructional design. Early Childhood Education Journal, 49(6), 981–993.
Torras-Vila, J. (2021). Empowering early childhood educators to teach English through music, movement and play: A professional development model. European Early Childhood Education Research Journal, 29(1), 32–47.
Van Roy, R., & Zaman, B. (2018). Need-supporting gamification in education: An assessment of motivational effects over time. Computers & Education, 127, 283–297.
Vaughan, N. D. (2007). Perspectives on blended learning in higher education. International Journal on E-Learning, 6(1), 81–94.
Villegas-Reimers, E. (2003). Teacher professional development: An international review of the literature.
UNESCO, International Institute for Educational Planning (IIEP). Retrieved from https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000133010
Wright, A. (2010). Creativity in language teaching: Using visuals and stories. London: Oxford University Press.
Yu-kai, C. (2013). Actionable gamification: Beyond points, badges, and leaderboards. Fremont, CA: Octalysis Media.