The Development of Social Studies Learning Activities Based on the Gamification Concept to Foster Learning Engagement Among Elementary School Students

Abstract

The purposes of this research were to 1) analyze the experiences and needs of Grade 2 students in learning Social Studies through user experience analysis; 2) develop gamification-based Social Studies learning activities appropriate for Grade 2 students based on the results of user experience analysis; 3) analyze and compare Grade 2 students’ learning engagement before and after learning through gamification-based Social Studies learning activities; and 4) analyze students’ attitudes toward Social Studies after participating in gamification-based learning activities. The research sample consisted of 31 Grade 2 students from Chulalongkorn University Demonstration Elementary School. The research instruments included lesson plans, a user experience interview form, a learning engagement scale, and an attitude scale. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, namely mean and standard deviation, while inferential statistics were analyzed using a t-test, and qualitative data were analyzed through content analysis.

The results revealed that: 1) students wanted to learn Social Studies in ways that were fun, engaging, connected to daily life, and included game-like mechanisms, such as points, rewards, missions, and appropriate competition; 2) the developed learning activities were aligned with the key elements of gamification and consisted of eight developmental steps: setting goals, assigning roles, designing sub-missions, establishing a point system, using rewards, employing concrete instructional media, providing feedback, and promoting reflection; 3) students’ learning engagement after instruction was significantly higher than before instruction at the .05 level; and 4) students’ overall attitude toward Social Studies was at a good level (M = 4.49, SD = 0.64). Students expressed enjoyment, a sustained willingness to participate in learning activities, and positive learning behaviors, including greater enthusiasm, increased willingness to express opinions, and enhanced collaboration with peers.