Authors : Cresty Archua Sarias; Eva Marie Sajulan; Solima Pukunum

Volume/Issue : Volume 10 - 2025, Issue 6 - June

Google Scholar : https://tinyurl.com/269zcynm

DOI : https://doi.org/10.38124/ijisrt/25jun692

Note : A published paper may take 4-5 working days from the publication date to appear in PlumX Metrics, Semantic Scholar, and ResearchGate.

Abstract : This phenomenological study explored English teachers' perspectives on incorporating game-enhanced strategies into language instruction. This study used purposively sampling by which participants were chosen based on the set criterion which should be a high school English teacher employing games in teaching the lessons. The researchers had conducted in- depth one on one interview to the six participants and allowed them to narrate their relevant experiences and insights about this approach. Through interviews and thematic analysis, the findings revealed that educators view this approach as an effective approach for enhancing student motivation, engagement, and comprehension. Teachers highlighted the role of games in fostering active participation, collaboration, and enjoyment, ultimately making English lessons more interactive and student-centered. Despite recognizing challenges such as limited class time, large student populations, and inadequate resources, teachers expressed a strong willingness to integrate game-enhanced strategies into their instructional practices. The study underscores the need for professional development and institutional support to ensure the successful implementation of this approach in English education.

Keywords : Game-Based Learning, English Instruction, Teacher Perception, Student Engagement, Classroom Strategy.

References :

1. Adipat, S., Laksana, K., Busayanon, K., Asawasowan, A., & Adipat, B. (2021). Engaging students in the learning process with game-based learning: The fundamental concepts. “International Journal of Technology in Education, 4” (3), 542–552. https://doi.org/10.46328/ijte.169
2. Alhebsh, A. A., & Halabi, M. S. (2020). Teachers' and learners' perceptions towards digital game-based learning in ESL classroom. Journal for the Study of English Linguistics, 8(1), 166-180. https://www.researchgate.net/profile/AmalAlhebshi/publication/342960846_Teachers'_and_Learners'_Perceptions_Towards_Digital_GameBased_Learning_in_ESL_Classroom/links/5f159fa1299bf1e548c6781d/Teachers-and-Learners-Perceptions-Towards-Digital-Game-Based-Learning-in-ESL-Classroom.pdf
3. Ahmed, A. A., Ampry, E. S., Komariah, A., Hassan, I., Thahir, I., Ali, M. H., Faisal, A.F.& Zafarani, P. (2022). Investigating the effect of using game-based learning on EFL learners’ motivation and anxiety. Education Research International, 2022, Article 6503139. https://doi.org/10.1155/2022/6503139
4. Ajogbeje, O.J. (2023). Enhancing Classroom Learning Outcomes: The Power of Immediate Feedback Strategy. International Journal of Disabilities Sports & Health Sciences. 6. 453-465. 10.33438/ijdshs.1323080.https://www.researchgate.net/publication/375343331_Enhancing_Classroom_Learning_Outcomes_The_Power_Of_Immediate_Feedback_Strategy
5. Akmad, Abusailan & Abatayo, Ariadna Victoria. (2024). Caught in the Slow Lane: Effects of Unstable Internet Connectivity on Accessing Academic Resources and Collaborative Learning. 2. 278 286.10.69569/jip.2024.0370.https://www.researchgate.net/publication/383179352_Caught_in_the_Slow_Lane_Effects_of_Unstable_Internet_Connectivity_on_AccessingAcademic_Resources_and_Collaborative_Learning
6. Azcarraga, A., & Peña, P. J. (2019). Technology and automation as sources of 21^st century firm productivity: The economics of slow internet connectivity in the Philippines. In DLSU Research Congress. Retrieved on April 25, 2025, from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/344470946_Technology_and_Automation_s_Sources_of_21stCentury_Firm_Productivity_The_Economics_of_Slow_Internet_Connectivity_in_the_Philippines
7. Bakhsh, Khuda & Hafeez, Muhammad & Shahzad, Shumaila & Naureen, Bushra & Farid, Faisal. (2022). Effectiveness of Digital Game Based Learning Strategy in Higher Educational Perspectives. Journal of Education and e-Learning Research. 9. 258 268. 10.20448/jeelr.v9i4.4247. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/364984668_Effectiveness_of_Digital_GamBased_Learning_Strategy_in_Higher_Educational_Perspectives University.https://mlpp.pressbooks.pub/gamebasedlearning/chapter/chapter-1/
8. Beskow, L. M., Heetderks, W. J., & Merz, J. F. (2016). Ethical considerations in research involving human participants. Journal of Research Ethics, 12(3), 217–227. https://doi.org/10.1177/1747016116647923
9. Breitwieser, J., Andreas B. N., Florian, S., and Garvin, B. (2022). Self-Regulation Prompts Promote the Achievement of Learning Goals-but Only Briefly: Uncovering Hidden Dynamics in the Effects of a Psychological Intervention. Learning and Instruction 80: 101560.
10. Buljan, M. (2021). Gamification for learning: Strategies and examples.“ eLearning Industry”. https://elearningindustry.com/gamification-for-learningstrategies-and examples
11. Burlian, T. D., Sharmila, P., Alavesa, P., & Arhippainen, L. (2019). Revitalizing Viena Karelian dialect and culture with gamification. Proceedings of the 3rd International GamiFIN Conference, Levi, Finland, 277–288.
12. Campillo-Ferrer, J.-M., Miralles-Martínez, P., & Sánchez-Ibáñez, R. (2023). Enhancing student motivation and engagement through a gamified learning environment.*Sustainability, 15*(19), 14119. https://doi.org/10.3390/su151914119
13. CG, M. (2024). Innovations in Teaching Practices. International Research Journal on Advanced Engineering and Management (IRJAEM), 2(05), 1469-1471. https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/8186/14c7bedc2f25f47833bc2093555de29b909f.pdf
14. Chaoub, A., Giordani, M., Lall, B., Bhatia, V., Kliks, A., Mendes, L., & Zorzi, M. (2021). 6G for bridging the digital divide: Wireless connectivity to remote areas. IEEE Wireless Communications, 29(1), 160-168. Retrieved on April 22,2025, from https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/abstract/document/9474929.
15. Demirbilek, M., Talan, T., & Alzouebi, K. (2022). An examination of the factors and challenges to adopting gamification in English foreign language teaching. International Journal of Technology in Education (IJTE), 5(4), 654–668. https://doi.org/10.46328/ijte.358
16. Dichev, C., & Dicheva, D. (2023). Exploring the effects of gamified learning on teacher professional development: A mixed-methods study. Education and Information Technologies, 28(7), 9115-9138.Filament Games. *Game-based learning for 21st-century skills*. Retrieved on April 23, 2025, fromhttps://www.filamentgames.com/blog/game-based-learning-for-21st-centuryskills/
17. Earichappan,D. & Hashim, H. (2024). Game-Based Learning in ESL Context: ASystematic Literature Review (2020-2024). Retrieved on April 20, 2025, from http://dx.doi.org/10.6007/IJARPED/v13-i3/22895
18. Erbas, C., Ture, E. & Sapanca, H.F. Exploring meaning-making in instructional technology: A phenomenological study of english language teaching students. Educ Inf Technol (2025). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-025-13450-7
19. Ghafar, Z. N. (2023). Teaching English: The challenges teachers face and the various instructional techniques. Journal of Digital Learning and Distance Education. https://rjupublisher.com/ojs/index.php/JDLDE/article/view/124                     
20. Haleem,  A.,  Javaid,  M.,  Qadri,  M.  A.,  &  Suman,  R.  (2022).  Understanding  the  role  of  digital 220technologies in education: A review. Sustainable Operations and Computers, 3, 275–285. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.susoc.2022.05.004
21. Hernández-Prados, Á., Belmonte, L., & Manzanares-Ruiz, J. C. (2021). How to run your own online business: A gamification experience in ESL. Education Sciences, 11(11), 697-711. https://www.mdpi.com/22277102/11/11/697#
22. Hidayat, Ima & Arizal, Fariza & Sutrisno, Arif. (2023). Primary Student and Teacher Game Based Learning Engagement: The Problem and the Challenge. KnE Social Sciences.10.18502/kss. v8i15.13928.  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.learninstruc.2021.101560 
23. Jusas, V., Marcinkevicius, R., Stuikys, V., Damaševičius, R., & Buteikis, M. (2023). Increasing Student Engagement and Motivation by Using a Web-Based Gamified Tool with Automated Assessment in Programming Education. *Sustainability, 15*(19), 14119. https://doi.org/10.3390/su151914119
24. Kleinman, A., & Benson, P. (2006). Anthropology in the clinic: The problem of cultural competency and how to fix it. PLOS Medicine, 3(10), e294.
25. Lincoln, Y. S., & Guba, E. G. (1985). Naturalistic inquiry. SAGE Publications.
26. Liu, Z., Zhang, Y., & Wang, X. (2023). Influence of game-based learning in mathematics education on the students' cognitive and affective domain: A systematic review. *Frontiers in Psychology, 14*, 1105806. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1105806
27. MacIntyre, A. (1981). After virtue: A study in moral theory. University of Notre Dame Press.
28. Manuel. (2023). Game-Based Learning Examples. TeachFind. https://teachfind.com/teaching-strategies/game-based-learning/
29. Tisdell, E. J., Merriam, S. B., & Stuckey-Peyrot, H. L. (2025). Qualitative research: A guide to design and implementation. John Wiley & Sons.  https://books.google.com.ph/books?hl=en&lr=&id=tRpCEQAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PR &dq=Merriam,+S.+B.,+%26+Tisdell,+E.+J.+(2016).+Qualitative+research:+A+guide+o+design+and+implementation+(4th+ed.).+JosseyBass.&ots=0Cx7PZJXOu&sig=SOScqdlDEJ27xyEyG0gt7ruQ4w&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q&f=false
30. Mishra, P., & Koehler, M. J. (2006). Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge: A framework for teacher knowledge. Teachers College Record, 108(6), 1017– 1054. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9620.2006.00684.x
31. Muzari, T., Shava, G. N., & Shonhiwa, S. (2022). Qualitative research paradigm, a key research design for educational researchers, processes and procedures: A theoretical overview. Indiana Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences, 3(1), 14-20. https://indianapublications.com/articles/IJHSS_3(1)_1420_61f38990115064.95135470.pdf
32. Mthembu, N., & Ngcobo, T. (2022). Overcoming challenges in gamified learning environments in South African schools. South African Journal of Educational Technology,       19(3), 121-135.
33. Nadeem, M., Oroszlányová, M., & Farag, W. (2023). Effect of digital game-based learning on student engagement and motivation. Computers, 12(9), 177. https://doi.org/10.3390/computers12090177
34. Nuremberg Code (1947). Ethical principles for human experimentation. U.S. Department of Health & Human Services.
35. Nursetyo, K. I., Ariani, D., Wibawa, B., & Siregar, E. (2024). Game-based learning enabled 21st century skills: A bibliometric analysis. *Proceedings of the 7th International Conference on Learning Innovation and Quality Education (ICLIQE 2023)*, 69–77. Atlantis Press. https://doi.org/10.2991/978-2-38476301-6_8
36. Olayvar, S. R. (2023). Integration of game-based learning approach as an innovative teaching tool in improving students’ academic performance in English. Internationa Journal of Instruction, 16(3), 677–690.
37. Pacheco-Velázquez, E., Rodés, V., & Salinas-Navarro, D. (2024). Developing learning skills through game-based learning in complex scenarios: A case in undergraduate logistics education. *Journal of Technology and Science Education, 14*(1), 169–183. https://doi.org/10.3926/jotse.2219
38. Palha, S. (2025). What do teachers anticipate from education in game-based pedagogy?  Technology, Pedagogy and Education. https://doi.org/10.1080/1475939X.2025.2454453
39. Palinkas, L. A., Horwitz, S. M., Green, C. A., Wisdom, J. P., Duan, N., & Hoagwood,K. (2015). Purposeful sampling for qualitative data collection and analysis in mixed method implementation research. Administration and Policy in Mental Health and Mental Health Services Research, 42(5), 533–544. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10488-013-0528-y
40. Patton, M. Q. (2020). Qualitative research & evaluation methods (4th ed.). SAGE Publications.
41. Piaget, J. (1973). To Understand was to Invent: The Future of Education. GrossmanPublishers.
42. Ramzan, M., Javaid, Z. K., & Kamran, M. (2024). Secondary public-school teachers’ perceptions of gamification in ESL instruction: A qualitative study. Forman Journal of Social Sciences, 4(2). Retrieved on April 22, 2025, from https://ojs.fccollege.edu.pk/index.php/FJSS/article/view/231
43. Resnik, D. B. (2011). What was ethics in research and why was it important? National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. Retrieved on April 21, 2025, from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/373157891_Primary_Student_and_TeacheGame_Based_Learning_Engagement_The_Problem_and_the_Challenge
44. Richardson, B. (2023, April 21). Playing to learn: Implementing game-based learning strategies for improved learner engagement. *Training Industry*. https://trainingindustry.com/articles/content-development/playing-tolearnimplementing-game-based-learning-strategies-for-improved-learnerengagement/
45. Sabornido, J. L., Dizon, J. N. A., Gan, J. H. D., Gomez, A. D. P., Jimenez, R. L. S., & Pagulayan, L. M. (2022). Key challenges and barriers in gamification: A systematic review. ResearchGatehttps://www.researchgate.net/publication/362182185_Key_Challenges and_Barriers_in_Gamification_A_Systematic_Review
46. Sailer, M., & Homner, L. (2020). The gamification of learning: A meta-analysis. Educational Psychology Review, 32(1), 77-112. 10.1007/s10648-019-09498w.https://psycnet.apa.org/doi/10.1007/s10648
47. Sánchez-Mena, A., & Martí-Parreño, J. (2020). Gamification in education: A systematic review of the literature. European Journal of Education and           Learning, 6(3), 29-42. https://academic publishing.org/index.php/ejel/article/view/1850
48. Sevy-Biloon, J. (2021). Different reasons to play games in an English language class. Universidad Nacional de Educación. https://doi.org/10.37135/unede.v5n1.109
49. Shenton, A. K. (2004). Strategies for ensuring trustworthiness in qualitative research projects. Education for Information, 22(2), 63–75.
50. Singh, R., & Jha, S. (2020). The digital divide: Examining the barriers to gamified Language learning in India. Journal of Educational Technology & Society, 23(1), 4355.
51. Siddiqi, M. M., & Ahmad, S. (2021). Embracing Change: Active Learning in the Era of Digital Education. Confluence of Knowledge (COK), 8(01), 59-74. https://cok.pratibha spandan.org/wp-content/uploads/v08i01a08.pdf
52. Smiderle, R., Rigo, S. J., Marques, L. B., Peçanha de Miranda Coelho, J. A., & Jaques, P. A. (2020). The impact of gamification on students’ learning, engagement and behavior based on their personality traits. Smart Learning Environments, 7(1), 3. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s40561-019-0098-x
53. Smaldino, S. E., Lowther, D. L., & Russell, J. D. (2019). Instructional Technology and Media for Learning (11th ed.). Pearson
54. Tanudtanud, R. (2023). Digital game-based learning and its impact on English proficiency in the Philippines: A systematic review and meta-analysis. CMC Research. https://research.cmc.edu.ph/index.php/journals/article/view/116
55. Triarisanti, Risa & Purnawarman, Pupung. (2019). The Influence Of Interest And Motivation On College Students’ Language And Art Appreciation Learning Outcomes. International Journal of Education. 11. 130. 10.17509/ije.v11i2.14745.
56. Utami, H. R., Sumardiyani, L., Zahrani, D. A., & Ambarini, R. (2020). Bridging Physical Education and English Learning: The Role of Interactive Apps in Elementary Schools. Teaching English to Young Learners in Indonesia (TEYLIN). https://conference.umk.ac.id/index.php/teylin/article/view/582
57. Vygotsky, L. S. (1978). Mind in Society: The Development of Higher Psychological Processes. Harvard University Press.
58. Wang, L., Li, Y., & Wang, X. (2022). The impact of digital game-based learning onstudents' academic achievement in STEM education: A meta-analysis. *Internationa Journal of STEM Education, 9*(1), 26.  https://doi.org/10.1186/s40594-02200344-0
59. Zainuddin, Z., Chu, S. K. W., Shujahat, M., & Perera, C. J. (2023). Effect of digital game based learning on student engagement and motivation. Sustainability, 15(2), 1-16. https://doi.org/10.3390/su1502