The Role of Gamification in Increasing Motivation to Learn Mathematics: A Scoping Review

Electronic Journal of Education, Social Economics and Technology Vol. 6, No. 2, (2025), pp. 1~8, Article ID: 1354 ISSN 2723-6250 (online) DOI: https://doi.org/10.33122/ejeset.v6i2.1354 Research Article The Role of Gamification in Increasing Motivation to Learn Mathematics: A Scoping Review Mursalin1*, Iryana Muhammad1, Mutia Fonna1, Nuraina1, Muliana1, Hayatun Nufus1, Muhammad Ali2, Desi Armita3 1 Department of Mathematics Education, Universitas Malikussaleh, Aceh, 24355, Indonesia 2 Department of Communication Sciences, Universitas Malikussaleh, Aceh, 24355, Indonesia 3 Teacher of Mathematics, SMK Negeri 1 Nibong, Aceh Utara, Indonesia *Corresponding Author Email: ABSTRACT Low motivation to learn mathematics is still a global challenge in modern education, although various pedagogical innovations have been developed to address it. One of the approaches that is now widely used is gamification, which is the application of game elements in the context of non-game learning to increase student engagement and motivation. This study aims to systematically examine how gamification is implemented in mathematics learning and evaluate its impact on students' learning motivation based on the results of international research published between 2010 and 2022. The study used a Systematic Literature Review (SLR) design with PRISMA guidance and the PICOC approach, searching articles from the Scopus, Web of Science, ScienceDirect, SpringerLink, Taylor & Francis, and ERIC databases. A total of 30 articles met the inclusion criteria after going through the identification, screening, and eligibility stages. The results of the synthesis showed that gamification consistently increased students' intrinsic motivation, engagement, and perseverance in learning mathematics with moderate to high effects. Elements such as points, badges, leaderboards, and challenges have been proven to strengthen students' sense of competence and autonomy, in accordance with the principles of Self-Determination Theory. However, its effectiveness is influenced by the game design, duration of the intervention, level of education, and cultural context. In conclusion, gamification has the potential to be an effective pedagogical strategy to increase motivation to learn mathematics, with practical implications for teachers, media developers, and education policies in creating a more engaging and meaningful learning environment. Keywords: Gamification; Learning Motivation; Mathematics Education; Game-Based Learning; Systematic Literature Review 1. INTRODUCTION In the last two decades, advances in digital technology have brought significant changes to the practice of mathematics learning at various levels of education. This transformation not only changes the way students access and interact with subject matter, but also raises new challenges related to students' low motivation to learn mathematics, which is still a global issue in 21st-century education (Attard & Holmes, 2020; OECD, 2019). Mathematics is often perceived as a difficult and abstract field of study, leading to a decrease in students' emotional engagement and intrinsic motivation, especially at the secondary school level (Middleton et al., 2018). Therefore, various pedagogical innovations have been developed to address this problem, one of which is through a gamification approach that aims to create a more engaging and meaningful learning experience through the application of game elements in non-game contexts (Deterding et al., 2011). Conceptually, gamification is defined as the application of game mechanics and dynamics such as points, badges, leaderboards, challenges, and rewards to improve learners' motivation, engagement, and learning outcomes (Hamari et al., 2014). In the context of mathematics education, gamification is considered to be able to facilitate active learning by stimulating a sense of competence, autonomy, and social connectedness as described in Self-Determination Theory (Deci & Ryan, 2000). Several empirical studies show that the use of gamification can increase students' intrinsic motivation as well as lower the level of anxiety towards mathematics (Su & Cheng, 2015; Le & Wang, 2019). Gamification is also believed to strengthen the growth mindset and foster an unyielding attitude in the face of conceptual difficulties (Barata et al., 2013). Thus, the application of gamification is not only recreative, but also has a strong theoretical foundation in motivational psychology and constructivist learning theory. Various international studies have traced the impact of gamification on motivation to learn mathematics with mixed results. An experimental study by Su and Cheng (2015) in Taiwan showed that the integration of game-based learning in Page 1 of 8 Mursalin et al. Electronic Journal of Education, Social Economic and Technology, Vol. 6, No. 2, (2025), pp.1~8, Article ID: 1354 geometry learning increased intrinsic motivation by 27% compared to the control class. Meanwhile, a study in Finland by Sailer and Homner (2020) found that gamification that focuses on social achievement through leaderboards is more effective at fostering extrinsic motivation than intrinsic motivation. Different results were reported by Lin et al. (2021), who stated that gamification design without narrative context or intrinsic meaning actually lowers students' focus on learning. These differences in results indicate that there are moderator factors that affect the effectiveness of gamification, such as intervention design, duration of implementation, education level, and learning culture. Therefore, systematic mapping of empirical evidence is important to understand the general patterns and limitations of the effectiveness of gamification in the context of mathematics learning. Although the study of gamification in education has grown rapidly since 2010, there is still a research gap that needs to be bridged. Most previous studies have focused on the cognitive effects of gamification on learning outcomes, while affective aspects such as learning motivation have not been explored in depth (Nah et al., 2014; Caponetto et al., 2016). In addition, many studies have used short-term interventions, so they have not been able to explain the long-term effects on the sustainability of mathematics learning motivation (Sailer & Homner, 2020). Cross-cultural research is also still limited, with the dominance of East Asian and European contexts, while regions such as Southeast Asia or Africa are relatively underrepresented (Lopez & Tucker, 2019). Another gap lies in methodological limitations, such as the use of small samples, varied motivational instruments, and a lack of control over contextual variables that influence outcomes. In the context of the development of mathematical learning theory, gamification offers integrative potential between cognitive and affective principles. Through the application of structured game elements, students can experience a fl (...truncated)