Direction of Gamification in Science Education: Literature Review and Indexed Bibliography

Nurfadilah Nurfadilah, Hartono Bancong, Rezkawati Saad, Tri Hastiti Fiskawarni

Abstract


Gamification in science education has gained significant attention as an innovative approach to enhance student engagement, motivation, and comprehension of complex scientific concepts. This study conducts a systematic literature review and bibliographic analysis to explore the research trends in gamification within science education from 2015 to 2024. The study addresses existing gaps in applying and evaluating gamification in science learning, particularly focusing on its role in enhancing student engagement, motivation, and comprehension of complex scientific concepts. Data was collected from the Scopus database using search terms like “gamification,” “science,” and “education,” yielding a total of 865 relevant publications, including articles, conference papers, and book chapters, published in English. The analysis identifies key contributors in the field, including influential authors such as Papadakis, Kalogiannakis, and Zourmpakis, and highlights prominent journals like Lecture Notes in Computer Science and Education Sciences. Various bibliometric techniques, including citation analysis and keyword co-occurrence mapping, were applied to uncover trends and key themes in gamification research. Findings reveal a sharp increase in publications, especially from 2023 to 2024, reflecting a growing global interest in gamifying science education. The study identifies several recurring themes, such as the integration of digital technologies like virtual reality, the impact of gamification on student motivation, and its diverse applications in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education. Despite its potential, the research also points to significant challenges, including limited empirical evaluations, insufficient pedagogical frameworks, and the need for broader accessibility. The study concludes that while gamification offers considerable promise in science education, further research is essential to address these gaps, refine implementation strategies, and measure its long-term effects on learning outcomes.

https://doi.org/10.26803/ijlter.24.4.26


Keywords


bibliometric; educational technology; gamification; science education

Full Text:

PDF

References


Alemany, J., Val, E. D., & Garcia-Fornes, A. (2020). Assessing the effectiveness of a gamified social network for applying privacy concepts: An empirical study with teens. IEEE Transactions on Learning Technologies, 13(4), 777–789. https://doi.org/10.1109/TLT.2020.3026584

Almanza-Arjona, Y. C., Garcia-Rivera, B. E., & Membrillo-Hernandez, J. (2020). Writing sci-fi stories: A pedagogic challenge. In A. Cardoso, G. R. Alves & T. Restivo (Eds.), IEEE Global Engineering Education Conference, EDUCON (Vol. 2020-April, pp. 1728–1734). IEEE Computer Society. https://doi.org/10.1109/EDUCON45650.2020.9125279

Bancong, H. (2024). The past and present of thought experiments’ research at Glancy: Bibliometric review and analysis. Discover Education, 3(1). https://doi.org/10.1007/s44217-024-00246-z

Bancong, H., Nurazmi, N., Fiskawarni, T. H., & Park, J. (2021). Trending research topics in the field of physics education from 2017 to 2019 in highly reputable international journals. Jurnal Ilmiah Pendidikan Fisika Al-Biruni, 10(1), 29–36. https://doi.org/10.24042/jipfalbiruni.v10i1.8341

Barbero, G., Bonsangue, M. M., & Hermans, F. F. J. (2023). How to evaluate games in education: A literature review. In Lecture Notes in Educational Technology: Vol. Part F2953 (pp. 32–41). Springer Science and Business Media. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-99-5961-7_4

Bogusevschi, D., & Muntean, G.-M. (2020). Virtual reality and virtual lab-based technology-enhanced learning in primary school physics. In H. C. Lane, S. Zvacek & J. Uhomoibhi (Eds.), Communications in Computer and Information Science (Vol. 1220, pp. 467–478). Springer Science and Business Media. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-58459-7_22

Castaneda, J. A. C., Hung, P. C. K., Iqbal, F., & Ahmad, R. (2022). Towards a tangible blocky coding design for visually impaired children. CONTIE 2022 - 5th International Conference on Inclusive Technologies and Education and the 2nd International Conference of the Project Promoting Accessibility of Students with Disability to Higher Education, Cuba, Costa Rica and Dominican Republic. https://doi.org/10.1109/CONTIE56301.2022.10004415

Chuah, K.-M., Mohamad, F. S., Minoi, J.-L., & Kabilan, M. K. (2021). Of marbles and Minecraft: Designing STEM educational games for culturally diverse young learners in Malaysia. Proceedings of 2021 World Engineering Education Forum/Global Engineering Deans Council, WEEF/GEDC 2021, 44–49. https://doi.org/10.1109/WEEF/GEDC53299.2021.9657214

Ciuchita, R., Heller, J., Köcher, S., Köcher, S., Leclercq, T., Sidaoui, K., & Stead, S. (2023). It is really not a game: An integrative review of gamification for service research. Journal of Service Research, 26(1), 3–20. https://doi.org/10.1177/10946705221076272

Clarke, P. J., Davis, D. L., Buckley, I. A., Potvin, G., Thirunarayanan, M., & Jones, E. L. (2019). An approach to integrating learning and engagement strategies (LESS) into CS class activities. ASEE Annual Conference and Exposition, Conference Proceedings. https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85078760834&partnerID=40&md5=ba073099718ecd1f049ef1db61e28734

Clarke, P. J., Davis, D. L., Buckley, I. A., Potvin, G., Thirunarayanan, M., & Jones, E. L. (2022). Combining learning and engagement strategies in a software testing learning environment. ACM Transactions on Computing Education, 22(2). https://doi.org/10.1145/3469131

Costa, C. J. (2025). Integrating LLM usage in gamified systems. WSEAS Transactions on Mathematics, 24, 258–267. https://doi.org/10.37394/23206.2025.24.25

Cózar-Gutiérrez, R., & Sáez-López, J. M. (2016). Game-based learning and gamification in initial teacher training in the social sciences: An experiment with MinecraftEdu. International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education, 13(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s41239-016-0003-4

Da Silva, R. J. R., Rodrigues, R. G., & Leal, C. T. P. (2019). Gamification in management education: A systematic literature review. BAR - Brazilian Administration Review, 16(2). https://doi.org/10.1590/1807-7692bar2019180103

De Santo, A., Farah, J. C., Martinez, M. L., Moro, A., Bergram, K., Purohit, A. K., Felber, P., Gillet, D., & Holzer, A. (2022). Promoting computational thinking skills in non-computer-science students: Gamifying computational notebooks to increase student engagement. IEEE Transactions on Learning Technologies, 15(3), 392–405. https://doi.org/10.1109/TLT.2022.3180588

Delgado-Algarra, E. J. (2021). Gamification and game-based learning: Motivating social sciences education. In Research anthology on developments in gamification and game-based learning (Vols. 2–4, pp. 932–956). IGI Global. https://doi.org/10.4018/978-1-6684-3710-0.ch043

Dolezal, D., Posekany, A., Motschnig, R., & Pucher, R. (2018). Effects of introducing a game-based student response system into a flipped, person-centered classroom on object-oriented design. In R. Klamma, M. Spaniol, G. Hancke, K. Osathanunkul & S. Unankard (Eds.), Lecture notes in computer science (including subseries lecture notes in artificial intelligence and lecture notes in bioinformatics): Vol. 11007 LNCS (pp. 132–139). Springer Verlag. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-96565-9_13

El Mawas, N., Tal, I., Moldovan, A. N., Bogusevschi, D., Andrews, J., Muntean, G. M., & Muntean, C. H. (2020). Investigating the impact of an adventure-based 3D solar system game on primary school learning process. Knowledge Management and E-Learning, 12(2), 165–190. https://doi.org/10.34105/j.kmel.2020.12.009

Handayani, Y., & Nurfadilah. (2021). The effect of brain-based learning model on student physics learning outcomes. Physics Education Journal, 4(2), 110–117. http://jurnal.unipa.ac.id/index.php/kpej

Hol, A. (2018). Gamifying STEM education. International Conference on Information Society, i-Society 2017, 136–137. https://doi.org/10.23919/i-Society.2017.8354688

Hovardas, T., Ter Vrugte, J., Zacharia, Z. C., & De Jong, T. (2022). Simulations and games for learning. In International encyclopedia of education (4th ed., pp. 681–688). Elsevier. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-818630-5.14074-6

Jiménez-Valverde, G., Heras-Paniagua, C., Fabre-Mitjans, N., & Calafell-Subirà, G. (2024). Gamifying Teacher Education with FantasyClass: Effects on Attitudes towards Physics and Chemistry among Preservice Primary Teachers. Education Sciences, 14(8). https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci14080822

Johanna, P., & Gütl, C. (2015). Educational gamified science simulations. In Gamification in Education and Business (pp. 253–275). Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-10208-5_13

John W. Creswell, & J. David Creswell. (2023). Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Methods Approaches Sixth Edition (L. Fargotstein, Ed.; 6th ed., Vol. 1). SAGE Publication, Inc.

Kalogiannakis, M., Papadakis, S., & Zourmpakis, A.-I. (2021). Gamification in science education. A systematic review of the literature. Education Sciences, 11(1), 1–36. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci11010022

Kartal, G., & Ye?ilyurt, Y. E. (2024). A bibliometric analysis of artificial intelligence in L2 teaching and applied linguistics between 1995 and 2022. ReCALL. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0958344024000077

Khatibi, M. B., Badeleh, A., & Khodabandelou, R. (2021). A Bibliometric Analysis on the Research Trends of Gamification in Higher Education: 2010–2020. New Educational Review, 65, 17–28. https://doi.org/10.15804/tner.2021.65.3.01

Langlands, E., & Morales-Trujillo, M. (2023). Learning from Errors: An Empirical Study on the Impact of Gamification on SQL Query Formulation. Annual Conference on Innovation and Technology in Computer Science Education, ITiCSE, 1, 341–347. https://doi.org/10.1145/3587102.3588821

Li, K. C., & Wong, B. T.-M. (2022). Research landscape of smart education: a bibliometric analysis. Interactive Technology and Smart Education, 19(1), 3–19. https://doi.org/10.1108/ITSE-05-2021-0083

Luarn, P., Chen, C.-C., & Chiu, Y.-P. (2024). How does perceived value of gamification improve online learning effectiveness? The role of flow state. Interactive Learning Environments. https://doi.org/10.1080/10494820.2024.2436932

Luo, Z. (2021). Educational gamification from 1995 to 2020: A bibliometric analysis. ACM International Conference Proceeding Series, 140–145. https://doi.org/10.1145/3474995.3475740

Margalit, O. (2016). Using Computer Programming Competition for Cyber Education. Proceedings - 2016 IEEE International Conference on Software Science, Technology and Engineering, SwSTE 2016, 104–107. https://doi.org/10.1109/SWSTE.2016.22

Monteagudo-Fernández, J., Moreno-Vera, J. R., Rodríguez-Pérez, R. A., & Cózar-Gutiérrez, R. (2021). Motivation strategies for gamified flipped classrooms in Social Sciences education. In Handbook of Research on Teacher Education in History and Geography (pp. 391–409). Peter Lang AG. https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85108041466&partnerID=40&md5=3eaaf87e1ff7d6127925e0ba95f78e95

Morales-Nava, R., Nieto-Jalil, J. M., & Díaz-Morales, L. A. (2024). Gamification and Experiential Learning in Chemistry: A Strategy for Understanding Oxidation-Reduction Reactions. IEEE Global Engineering Education Conference, EDUCON. https://doi.org/10.1109/EDUCON60312.2024.10578739

Morey, J., Gammack, J., & Thornquist, E. (2017). Gamifying Foundational STEM Skills. In A. A.B.M.S., K. Mamun, & M. A. Khan (Eds.), Proceedings - Asia-Pacific World Congress on Computer Science and Engineering 2016 and Asia-Pacific World Congress on Engineering 2016, APWC on CSE/APWCE 2016 (pp. 164–170). Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc. https://doi.org/10.1109/APWC-on-CSE.2016.036

Nurfadilah, N., Nurlina, N., & Hikmah Marisda, D. (2023). Application of Kahoot-Based Digital Assessments in Basic Physics Lectures: The Case of Muhammadiyah Makassar University. Jurnal Pendidikan MIPA, 24(1), 152–160. https://doi.org/10.23960/jpmipa/v24i1.pp152-160

O’Donnell, N., Kappen, D. L., Fitz-Walter, Z., Deterding, S., Nacke, L. E., & Johnson, D. (2017). How multidisciplinary is gamification research? Results from a scoping review. CHI PLAY 2017 Extended Abstracts - Extended Abstracts Publication of the Annual Symposium on Computer-Human Interaction in Play, 445–452. https://doi.org/10.1145/3130859.3131412

Panomrerngsak, T., & Srisawasdi, N. (2018). Development of gamified flipped-class inquiry learning in physics concept of energy for school science: An early stage. In W. L.-H., M. Banawan, N. Srisawasdi, Y. J.-C., M. M. T. Rodrigo, M. Chang, & W. Y.-T. (Eds.), ICCE 2018 - 26th International Conference on Computers in Education, Workshop Proceedings (pp. 390–398). Asia-Pacific Society for Computers in Education. https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85060044673&partnerID=40&md5=8fff26afe08e584066253fd1da5df6e2

Papadakis, S., Zourmpakis, A.-I., & Kalogiannakis, M. (2023). Analyzing the Impact of a Gamification Approach on Primary Students’ Motivation and Learning in Science Education. In M. E. Auer, W. Pachatz, & T. Rüütmann (Eds.), Lecture Notes in Networks and Systems: Vol. 633 LNNS (pp. 701–711). Springer Science and Business Media. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-26876-2_66

Prakasha, G. S., Rawat, S., Basak, I., & Mathai, S. (2024). Gamification in teacher education: Teacher educators and trainee teachers’ perspectives in India. In Enhancing Education With Intelligent Systems and Data-Driven Instruction (pp. 132–162). IGI Global. https://doi.org/10.4018/979-8-3693-2169-0.ch007

Rege, A. (2015). Multidisciplinary experiential learning for holistic cybersecurity education, research and evaluation. 2015 USENIX Summit on Gaming, Games, and Gamification in Security Education, 3GSE 2015. https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85050816309&partnerID=40&md5=9984e21dac05cde8efad5aef18f88711

Riabko, A. V, Vakaliuk, T. A., Zaika, O. V, Kukharchuk, R. P., & Novitska, I. V. (2024). Gamification method using Minecraft for training future teachers of computer science. CEUR Workshop Proceedings (Vol. 3771, pp. 22–35). CEUR-WS. https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85207082625&partnerID=40&md5=080bef8d4a7258d528ac7ee614f3ef39

Ripoll, M., Vasquez, R. D. M., Arias, E. L., Arcón, J. C. C., de Oro Aguado, C. M., & de la Puente, M. (2024). Unlocking educational potential: gamification strategies in developing nation’s science curriculum. International Journal of Pedagogy and Curriculum, 31(2), 159–183. https://doi.org/10.18848/2327-7963/CGP/v31i02/159-183

Rufaida, S., & Nurfadilah, N. (2021). The effectiveness of hypercontent module to improve creative thinking skills of prospective physics teachers. Journal of Physics: Conference Series, 1918(2). https://doi.org/10.1088/1742-6596/1918/2/022022

Salehi, A. M., Mohammadi, H. A., Jenabi, E., Khanlarzadeh, E., & Ashtari, K. (2023). Quality of evidence and pedagogical strategy in using gamification in medical education literature: A systematic review. Simulation and Gaming, 54(6), 598–620. https://doi.org/10.1177/10468781231195903

Serrano, E., & Manrique, D. (2020). A moderate experiential learning approach applied on data science. In R. Gennari et al. (Eds.), Advances in Intelligent Systems and Computing (Vol. 1007, pp. 11–18). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-23990-9_2

Shamim, M. R. H., Mamun, M. A. A., & Raihan, M. A. (2022). Mapping the research of technical teachers’ pedagogical beliefs about science technology engineering and mathematics (STEM) Education. International Journal of Instruction, 15(4), 797–818. https://doi.org/10.29333/iji.2022.15443a

Sirvermez, U., & Baltaci, ?. (2023). Metaverse applications in education: Systematic literature review and bibliographic analysis of 2010–2022. In Studies in Big Data (Vol. 133, pp. 397–417). Springer Science and Business Media. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-99-4641-9_27

Swacha, J. (2021). State of research on gamification in education: A bibliometric survey. Education Sciences, 11(2), 1–15. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci11020069

Swacha, J., Queirós, R., Paiva, J. C., Leal, J. P., Kosta, S., & Montella, R. (2020). A Roadmap to Gamify Programming Education. In R. Queiros, F. Portela, M. Pinto & A. Simoes (Eds.), OpenAccess Series in Informatics (Vol. 81). Dagstuhl Publishing. https://doi.org/10.4230/OASIcs.ICPEC.2020.26

Ly, T. V., Ehrlich, D., Sevetson, J., Hoffman, R. N., Salama, S. R., Kurniawan, S., & Teodorescu, M. (2024). Gamifying cell culture training: The ‘Seru-Otchi’ experience for undergraduates. Heliyon, 10(9). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e30469

Thongmak, M. (2019). The student experience of student-centered learning methods: Comparing gamification and flipped classroom. Education for Information, 35(2), 99–127. https://doi.org/10.3233/EFI-180189

Torres-Toukoumidis, A., & Vallejo-Imbaquingo, R. (2024). Microcosmos 3.0. students’ perception in gamified-mixed mobile learning experience. In Lecture Notes in Educational Technology: Vol. Part F3326 (pp. 41–51). Springer Science and Business Media. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-97-3883-0_4

Usachova, O. (2023). Play for Ukraine: Wargaming as a resistance pleasure. Culture, Theory and Critique, 64(1–2), 179–195. https://doi.org/10.1080/14735784.2024.2379814

Yadav, S., Dixit, S., Maurya, M., & Dharwal, M. (2023). Pattern of productivity in gamification elements research: Bibliometric distributions. 2023 9th International Conference on Advanced Computing and Communication Systems, ICACCS 2023, 2470–2474. https://doi.org/10.1109/ICACCS57279.2023.10112903

Zourmpakis, A.-I., Kalogiannakis, M., & Papadakis, S. (2023). Adaptive gamification in science education: An analysis of the impact of implementation and adapted game elements on students’ motivation. Computers, 12(7). https://doi.org/10.3390/computers12070143

Zourmpakis, A.-I., Papadakis, S., & Kalogiannakis, M. (2022). Education of preschool and elementary teachers on the use of adaptive gamification in science education. International Journal of Technology Enhanced Learning, 14(1), 1–16. https://doi.org/10.1504/IJTEL.2022.120556


Refbacks

  • There are currently no refbacks.


e-ISSN: 1694-2116

p-ISSN: 1694-2493