Gamification in the Classroom: Strategies, Benefits, Challenges, and Impact

Abstract

This narrative review focused on describing and analyzing the use of gamification in Ibero-American primary and secondary education, emphasizing a qualitative approach.  From a search of 107 studies, 17 empirical articles published between 2018 and 2023 that met the inclusion criteria—field research in the school setting—were selected.  Theoretical works, non-school experiences, and documents published prior to 2018 were excluded.  The results show that gamification stimulates intrinsic motivation, improves the quality of learning, and favors the development of social skills. An increase in student participation and a perception of the relevance of the activities were also observed. However, challenges emerge related to the dependence on external rewards, difficulties in assessing competencies, and resistance to change on the part of some teachers, as well as the perception of gamification as a passing trend. In short, gamification offers a valuable resource for enriching the teaching-learning process in Ibero-American contexts, provided it is supported by careful planning and adequate teacher training in the design of authentic game-based dynamics. This study provides an integrated view of the benefits and challenges and guides future research on its implementation and evaluation in schools.