The reality of the gamification methodology in Primary Education: A systematic review

Abstract

The vision of a playful approach to teaching and learning, mediated by game elements, has been acquiring vast relevance in recent years in educational research, crystallizing in the gamification methodology. Therefore, the goal of this study is none other than to study the integration of this methodology in the Primary Education stage, determining the existing evidence in relation to its influence on the students’ learning results. In order to achieve it, a systematic review of the literature, centered around articles about gamification experiences in Primary Education (n = 31), published during the last five years and indexed either in Web of Science or Scopus, is conducted. The existing literature has been mainly published over the last biennium, focusing on the European context, therefore being in line with the existing gaming industry’s temporary yet not geographical tendencies. Although the majority of analyzed experiences are mediated by technological resources, analogical gamification still holds a relevant position within the field. Areas linked to the STEM framework tend to be the most frequently gamified in Primary Education, in contrast to areas closely associated with Human and Social Sciences. The overall field results show positive effects on student engagement, motivation, and self-efficacy, while having retrieved negative results regarding collaboration, and mixed outcomes when it comes to learning result. Future research lines are discussed, aiming at building a framework of reference in relation to good practices in the use of gamification, as well as its proper implementation in teacher training courses.