INTRODUCTION
Lack of student engagement in social studies (Araling Panlipunan) is
observable among student. According to Bennett and Boesdorfer (2020), the lack of
student engagement negatively affects students' learning outcome. Additionally, many
students perceived social studies as uninteresting and boring subject. As a result,
social studies (Araling Panlipunan) performance in the National Achievement Test
(NAT) has an average score of 74% out of possible 100% competency standard
making it a consistently lowest performing subject at the national level (Aguimlod et
al., 2023). Consequently, low engagement decreases students’ motivation to learn and
affects academic performance (Fuertes et al., 2023).
According to Jaramillo-Mediavilla et al. (2024) who conducted across
universities in Europe and Latin America found that gamified learning increased
student engagement by 34% on average, yet its impact on academic achievement
varied, with only a 12–18% improvement in test performance depending on subject
and design quality. Similarly, Ruiz et al. (2024) argued that many educators apply
“surface-level” gamification such as points, badges, and leaderboards without aligning
these elements to deeper learning objectives, resulting in short-lived motivation. These
inconsistencies are often attributed to the overuse of superficial game elements such
as points and badges without integrating them into meaningful pedagogical goals
(Díaz, 2024).
Sabornido (2022) in a Southeast Asian context, noted that 64% of educators
cited lack of training and time as major barriers to effective gamification, while 52%
mentioned limited access to devices and internet as hindrances to implementation. In
the Philippines, recent studies confirmed gamified learning increases student
participation and enjoyment but faces barriers like limited teacher training, insufficient
technological resources, and lack of institutional support for design implementation
(Casia, 2024; Bato, 2024).
Motivation and engagement increase when game elements are used, as shown
by Lampropoulos and Sidiropoulos (2024), while preference and ease of use also
enhance learner satisfaction (Aguilós et al., 2022). Learning effectiveness and
interactivity further support engagement by promoting meaningful understanding and
active participation (Li et al., 2022; Zhang & Li, 2024). Students also exert more time
and effort when activities are enjoyable, supported by Lee and Hao (2015), Huang and
Hew (2018), and Bai et al. (2021). Doubts caused by unclear or difficult tasks lessen
when supportive feedback is given (Nguyen & Balakrishnan, 2020; Englund, 2023).
Expectations and excitement likewise increase involvement, as emphasized by Dichev
et al. (2023) and Pérez-Aranda et al. (2024). Altogether, these Independent Variables
influence the student engagement expressed affectively through motivation and self-
efficacy (Valenzuela-Peñuñuri et al., 2024), behaviorally through participation (Anim-
Wright, 2024), and cognitively through deeper understanding (Mazuin et al., 2020).
Piaget’s (1972) Constructivist Learning Theory explains that learners form
knowledge by actively engaging in meaningful experiences. In line with this idea,
gamified teaching creates interactive and participatory learning settings that increase
students’ motivation and involvement. Studies show that incorporating game elements
such as points, badges, and leaderboards significantly increases students’ cognitive
and behavioral engagement (Smiderle et al., 2020). Similarly, Khaleel et al. (2020)
found that gamified learning activities stimulate curiosity and encourage active
participation, resulting in improved academic performance and sustained attention. On
top of that, Chen and Liang (2022) discovered that gamification positively influences
students’ study engagement through the mediating effects of enjoyment and self-
efficacy, suggesting that game elements can enhance both emotional and cognitive
engagement among learners.
Although gamified learning is increasingly used to make lessons more
engaging, most studies focus on simple quiz-style games that produce only short-term
excitement rather than the deeper, sustained engagement needed in Social Studies
(Dichev & Dicheva, 2020; Zainuddin et al., 2020). There is also limited research on
how gamification functions in real public-school Social Studies classrooms, particularly
among Grade 7 students adjusting to more complex Araling Panlipunan content
(Cortez, 2021). Very few local studies examine the long-term effects of gamified
learning on student motivation, participation, and engagement in this context.
This study is aligned to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 4
(Quality Education), which promotes inclusive and equitable access to quality learning
for all students (United Nations, 2023). The integration of gamified learning strategies
in Grade 7 classrooms supports this goal by enhancing student engagement,
motivation, and participation through interactive and rewarding learning experiences.
Moreover, gamified approaches foster essential 21st-century skills such as
collaboration, creativity, and self-directed learning, which are crucial for lifelong
education and innovation (Martí-Parreño et al., 2024).
The study seeks to examine the level of student engagement in terms of
cognitive, behavioral, and affective engagement. It also aims to measure the
effectiveness of gamification learning based on engagement and motivation,
preference and ease of use, learning effectiveness, interactivity, time and effort, doubts
and expectations, and excitement, as well as to assess the relationship between
student engagement and gamified learning. Additionally, the study intends to provide
guidance to educators on the effective use of gamified strategies to create more
dynamic, engaging, and learner-centered classrooms that foster active participation
and support the goals of quality education.
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