Acceptance of a Mobile Application for Circular Economy Learning Through Gamification: A Case Study of University Students in Peru

José Antonio Arévalo-Tuesta, Guillermo Morales-Romero, Adrián Quispe-Andía, Nicéforo Trinidad-Loli, César León-Velarde, Maritza Arones, Irma Aybar-Bellido and Omar Chamorro-Atalaya ()
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José Antonio Arévalo-Tuesta: Facultad de Ciencias Económicas, Universidad Nacional Federico Villarreal, Lima 15046, Peru
Guillermo Morales-Romero: Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional de Educación Enrique Guzmán y Valle, Lima 15472, Peru
Adrián Quispe-Andía: Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional de Educación Enrique Guzmán y Valle, Lima 15472, Peru
Nicéforo Trinidad-Loli: Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional de Educación Enrique Guzmán y Valle, Lima 15472, Peru
César León-Velarde: Facultad de Ingeniería Industrial y de Sistemas, Universidad Nacional Federico Villarreal, Lima 15003, Peru
Maritza Arones: Facultad de Ciencias de la Educación y Humanidades, Universidad Nacional San Luis Gonzaga, Ica 11001, Peru
Irma Aybar-Bellido: Facultad de Ciencias de la Educación y Humanidades, Universidad Nacional San Luis Gonzaga, Ica 11001, Peru
Omar Chamorro-Atalaya: Facultad de Ingeniería y Gestión, Universidad Nacional Tecnológica de Lima Sur, Lima 15834, Peru

Sustainability, 2025, vol. 17, issue 21, 1-19

Abstract: Circular economy learning fosters competencies in sustainable resource management and environmental protection, which have been recognized by the OECD (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development) to be essential for cross-curricular training and higher education. However, implementing gamification techniques through mobile applications remains challenging, as their effectiveness depends on students’ willingness to adopt them. This study evaluated acceptance of a gamified mobile application for circular economy learning among university students in Peru, analyzing the relationships between the constructs of the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM). A quantitative correlational case study involving 76 students was conducted. The results showed a moderate-to-high acceptance rate of 73.69%, with significant correlations identified between the TAM constructs. This study contributes to closing gaps in empirical evidence on the acceptance of technology for sustainability education in diverse contexts. Future studies should integrate generative artificial intelligence into gamified apps to deliver personalized feedback and employ learning analytics tools for progress tracking, supporting global efforts toward SGD 4 (Quality Education) and SDG 12 (Responsible Production and Consumption) for the transition to circular economies.

Keywords: sustainable development goals; quality education; interactive technologies; user adoption; behavioral intention (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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