The Impact of Gamification-Based Instruction on Self-Regulated Learning and Academic Engagement among EFL Learners

This study aimed to investigate the impact of gamification-based instruction on self-regulated learning and academic engagement among EFL learners. Although self-regulated learning is widely recognized as a key factor in language achievement, little research has concurrently examined how gamification affects this construct alongside academic engagement in young language learners. To address this gap, a quasi-experimental pre-test-post-test design was employed, in which sixty EFL learners were assigned to an experimental group (gamification-based instruction) and a control group (conventional instruction). Data were collected using the Self-Regulated Learning Questionnaire, the Academic Engagement Questionnaire, and a semi-structured observation protocol, and were analyzed using t-tests, Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA), and thematic analysis. The results showed that the experimental group, compared to the control group, experienced a statistically significant increase with a large effect size in both self-regulated learning and academic engagement. The qualitative findings also revealed that learners developed greater awareness of goal-setting strategies, progress monitoring, and socio-affective engagement while interacting with the gamified environment; however, some learners still needed teacher guidance to activate self-assessment strategies. These findings suggest that gamification can be an effective tool for enhancing self-regulated learning and academic engagement among young EFL learners, provided that it is integrated with explicit strategy instruction. By examining these two constructs simultaneously, this study contributes to the existing literature on educational technology and foreign language learning.

کلیدواژه ها:

Gamification ، Self-regulated learning ، Academic engagement ، English as a Foreign Language (EFL)