GAMIFICATION AS A LEARNER-CENTRED PEDAGOGY IN SECONDARY SCIENCE EDUCATION: ENHANCING ENGAGEMENT, MOTIVATION AND ACADEMIC LEARNING

Gamification is a promising approach for making secondary Science learning more focused on student participation, feedback, challenges, teamwork and learner independence. The research discussed in this paper generally shows a positive connection between gamification, student motivation, engagement and academic learning. However, these positive results do not happen automatically and may not be the same for every student or classroom. The effectiveness of gamification depends on the quality of the teaching design, the game elements selected, the needs and characteristics of students and the way gamification is implemented in the classroom. In secondary Science education, gamification is likely to be most effective when it focuses on learning and mastery rather than rewards. Students should make progress because they are solving meaningful scientific problems, interpreting evidence, explaining scientific phenomena and developing a deeper understanding of concepts, rather than simply collecting points or badges. When gamification is combined with inquiry-based learning, formative assessment, teamwork and reflection, it can become a useful teaching approach for making Science education more learner-centred, meaningful and engaging.

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