Factors Influencing Game-Based Learning in the Colombian Context: A Mixed Methods Study

Paola Julie Aguilar-Cruz, Peiyu Wang, Zongping Xiang () and Heng Luo ()
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Paola Julie Aguilar-Cruz: Faculty of Artificial Intelligence in Education, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, China
Peiyu Wang: Faculty of Artificial Intelligence in Education, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, China
Zongping Xiang: School of Foreign Languages, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, China
Heng Luo: Faculty of Artificial Intelligence in Education, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, China

Sustainability, 2023, vol. 15, issue 10, 1-16

Abstract: Game-based learning (GBL) places high demand on educational resources and has been widely practiced in classrooms in many developed countries; however, few studies on GBL and its influencing factors have been conducted in developing countries. To address this research gap, a mixed-methods study was conducted in a state high school in the Amazon region of Colombia with 64 tenth-graders who were learning English as a foreign language to identify the factors that affect learners’ learning outcomes when serious games are applied to vocabulary learning, with a specific focus on learning engagement. This study drew on both quantitative and qualitative data collected from surveys, interviews, and pre- and post-tests. The results showed that engagement and prior knowledge can positively predict GBL outcomes, while contextual factors and family condition had an adverse impact on GBL outcomes (Adjusted R 2 = 0.635, p < 0.01). The results also indicated that a male student with a higher level of prior knowledge would be more likely to achieve good grades in GBL. Based on the study results, several implications are proposed for incorporating serious games for vocabulary learning in less-developed regions. This study results provide important practical implications for high schools in developing countries to implementing GBL.

Keywords: serious games; game-based learning; vocabulary learning; engagement; Colombia (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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