Investigating the Impact of Gamification Teaching Strategy on Pre-Service Teachers’ Academic Achievement in STEM Concepts

Abstract

Teaching of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) disciplines are often perceived as the most difficult, challenging, and abstract by the students. There is a growing need to find innovative teaching methods that can disabuse students' minds and at the same time enhance their interest and learning outcomes. Gamification, the application of game-design elements in non-game contexts, has emerged as a promising approach to achieving these goals. This research investigates the effect of gamification teaching techniques on pre-service teachers' academic achievement in STEM concepts. The pretest-posttest control group quasi-experimental design was used. Two intact classes of 200L from two Nigerian State universities with 37 pre-service teachers (17 in the experimental group and 20 in the control group) were used as a sample for the study. Heat Transfer and Heat Capacity, which are considered mathematically intensive and abstract topics, are the STEM concepts selected from the pre-service teachers' curriculum. Findings show that students in the gamified learning environment demonstrated significantly higher engagement and improved academic performance than their peers in the traditional setting. The experimental group showed a mean gain of 24.25 compared to 20.29 in the control group. However, there is a minimal difference in mean gains between male (17.00) and female (17.15) respondents. The study recommends that gamified learning environments should be integrated into the pre-service teachers' Curriculum for their professional development and growth, as gamification can be used to turn around STEM education programs by producing a new generation of critical thinkers, problem solvers, and creators of innovative ideas and inventions.