UNIVERSIDAD AUTÓNOMA DEL ESTADO DE MÉXICO

FACULTAD DE LENGUAS

THE IMPACT OF GAMIFICATION IN THE MOTIVATION TO LEARN THE

ENGLISH LANGUAGE IN PRIMARY SCHOOL STUDENTS IN AN A1 LEVEL

INVESTIGACIÓN ACCIÓN

QUE PARA OBTENER EL TÍTULO DE:

LICENCIADO EN LA ENSEÑANZA DEL INGLÉS

PRESENTA:

PABLO FERNANDO ESPINOZA RAMOS

ASESORA DE LA INVESTIGACIÓN ACCIÓN:

BARBARA ROSE BANGLE VILLAVICENCIO

TOLUCA, ESTADO DE MÉXICO 23 DE NOVIEMBRE, 2021

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Table of Contents

CHAPTER ONE....................................................................4
Introduction.....................................................................................4

CHAPTER TWO...................................................................7
Boosting motivation through gamification to encourage foreign
language learning...........................................................................7
Motivation and the use of games in primary school age learners................7
Motivation.......................................................................................7
The essence of motivation............................................................................8
Intrinsic motivation........................................................................................8
Extrinsic motivation.......................................................................................9
Motivation’s importance in EFL...................................................................10
Generating motivation.................................................................................11
Gamification..................................................................................13
Serious games versus complete games.....................................................15
Commercial video games...........................................................................15
Gamification components...........................................................................16
Printable activities.......................................................................................17
Ludic and pedagogical aspects in activities................................................18
Ludic game types........................................................................................19
English as a foreign language......................................................20

CHAPTER THREE.............................................................22
Methodological framework............................................................22

CHAPTER FOUR...............................................................28
Action description and results.......................................................28
Description..................................................................................................28
The semi-structured questionnaire/survey..................................................28
The checklist...............................................................................................30
The perceptions questionnaire....................................................................31

CHAPTER FIVE..................................................................35
Analysis........................................................................................35

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 Results........................................................................................................35
Evidence.....................................................................................................35
The semi-structure interview analysis.........................................................36
The checklist analysis.................................................................................37
The perceptions’ questionnaire analysis.....................................................40
Answering the research question...............................................................41
Some limitations..........................................................................................42
Reaching the objectives..............................................................................43
Conclusions.................................................................................................43
References...................................................................................44

Annexes..............................................................................46
Lesson plan.................................................................................................46
Entrevista semiestructurada.......................................................................48
Checklist......................................................................................................50
Cuestionario de percepciones....................................................................51

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CHAPTER ONE

Introduction

The minimal participation of a small percentage of my young learners, level A1

(CEFR), to take part in activities related to English as a foreign language, has
had a negative effect on the progress of their learning. The problems are varied
and constant creating a poor learning environment, even on those learners who
usually take part in the class.
Among the problems generated by learners who do not pay attention because
of their disruption, talking, or even laughing in class, are the distraction and
demotivation of their peers. This can be seen by their asking for repetition of
instructions, turning-in unfinished work, etcetera. Well-behaved students have
mentioned to feel harassed by those who disrupt the class. Another problem is
the time spent filling out reports, meetings with parents to help in solving the
situation many times to little avail. Academically speaking, the learning
objectives not always can be reached as planned.
Apparently, taking care of those students who interrupt classes because of the
lack of intrinsic or extrinsic motivation to learn, or any other reason such as the
belief that learning the English language is very difficult, can better the situation.
But pin pointing the cause of this condition may not be as easy to define given
the many factors that can play a role in these learners’ behaviour and attitude.
Now with the contingency for COVID-19, where classes are given online as
opposed to face to face, even though the recurrence has decrease, there is still
a substantial number of learners, from the original percentage of them, who
maintain a careless attitude towards English learning by being inactive or
disrupting during the virtual sessions. This is manifested by not participating, or
not following the virtual session rules, such as cameras on and microphones off.
Disrupting the session by asking questions not related to the subject; making
faces while having the camera on; not turning off their microphones, allowing
the broadcasting of sounds or music conflicting with the class.
The disruption caused by the small percentage of learners because of their chit
chat, their laughing, their idleness or their doing of activities related to other
subjects, or even to English but different to what is being worked at the moment
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by the class as whole, leads to disrupt their peers who follow and work on what
is being covered by the teacher at that session. It is to this small percentage of
learners who the study wants to focus on in identifying how ludic activities would
be beneficial to them.
The distraction caused by this small percentage of learners affects negatively
the rest of the class resulting in demotivation, annoyance, misunderstanding of
instructions, turning in unfinished or incorrect activities (especially those related
to listening skills); and even, at times, making well-behaved students feel
harassed, giving them the sense of being a waste of time to attend the English
class.
These negative characteristics in a learning environment, far from encouraging
study, leads to idleness, fostering an attitude of disinterestedness and apathy
towards the class and the learning of the language. This attitudes in idle
learners may be harmful because it may lead to gossiping, hurtful jokes,
bullying, physical fights in and out of school, many times, involving parents or
other siblings to settle differences that started in idleness in the classroom.
Finding solutions to the many problems generated by an idle environment also
leads to an administrative load for the teacher, the school staff and parents. The
teacher has to fill in tedious paperwork regarding incidents that may occur
taking valuable time from conscientious class planning. The school stuff, at
times, also have to filed paperwork regarding incidents, depending on the
seriousness of these, where detail information is required in answering the who,
the what, the when, the why, and the how of a situation; many times, making
the teacher responsible for situations beyond his control. Parents sometimes
are also involved in the process of finding solutions to behaviours or conflicts
affecting their children.
Academically speaking, many class objectives may be unreached or reached
partially due to the disruptive atmosphere generated by a few learners. This can
develop in an underachieving sense of the subject, discouraging students to put
their best effort, and making them think learning English may be more difficult
than it actually is. But there are many other academic problems such as the
lagging behind year after year never achieving the learning objectives. Being
always below the expected proficiency level of English for the years levels
taken; performing poorly in international tests later on in their academic life.

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In avoiding the aforementioned scenarios regarding the negative effects of
these misbehaving learners, the incorporation of ludic activities, in aiding
motivation to take part in class actively, is proposed. According to Nascimento
(2017), we as teachers “should implement exercises which associate teaching
and learning with fun and pleasure” making our students more relax. Krashen
(1982), as cited by Nascimento (2017), mentions that the students’ affective
filter is raised and blocks necessary input for acquisition when they feel anxious
and threatened; on the other hand, when they are relaxed, their affective filter is
reduced contributing to better input acquisition of the language.
A study in a 4th grade group ‘B’, made up of 32 students, in a public school, is
chosen to explore the effects of games to motivate the learning of English as a
foreign language (EFL). The idea is to see how the use of games affect A1 level
young learners’ motivation and attitude towards EFL learning. This is in hopes it
will help them to develop a desire to take part in activities given, knowing that
these will help them to progress in their learning process, thrusting them in
taking part in class earnestly.
I became interested in this phenomenon because I am sure there is a solution
to this situation. The learners’ attitude and motivation may be caused by a factor
or factors that probably can be studied and find a solution for it. The first
impression is that these learners do not like the activities that they have been
doing, where a possible solution, would be to improve activities making them
more interesting and fun; where they can still interact with peers in the same
situation; to find out if such activities affect motivation and a genuine desire to
get involved in class.
It is evident, from my perspective, that the current disruptive situation, far from
disappearing by itself, it worsens. The array of problems that stem from this
situation has been a real drive in wanting to research this anomaly in English
language teaching.

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CHAPTER TWO

Boosting motivation through gamification to encourage

foreign language learning

Motivation and the use of games in primary school age learners.

One of the challenges faced in my daily practice is the lack of interest in many
of my students’ learning process making it difficult to achieve the learning
outcomes. To identify the possible reasons causing this situation three concepts
have been identified that could play a role in making an improvement:
motivation, gamification, & English as a foreign language (EFL). These
concepts will be discussed to identify the role they play in the students’
language learning process. Finding their relationship will help me to develop
and implement some strategies to increase motivation through the use of
games in this process.

Motivation
Motivation is an essential ingredient in beginning a new endeavour, without it
very little can be accomplished. In learning a new language, it is very important
because it propels learners to wanting to learn more and more. Richard &
Schmidt (2010), defines it as driving force that leads to action. In language
learning, a distinction is made between orientation and motivation. Orientation,
as a class of reasons for learning a language. Motivation, to a combination of
attitudes, desires, and willingness to spend effort to be able to learn a new
language. Orientations comprise an integrative orientation described by the
willingness to be a valued member of the English class with practical concerns
such as being prepared to pass subject exams. The integrative motivation set
up includes integrative orientations, positive attitudes towards the target
language class as well as a commitment to learn the language.
Another broadly cited difference is between extrinsic motivation, “driven by
external factors such as parental pressure, societal expectations, academic
requirements, or other sources of rewards and punishments”, and intrinsic
motivation, “enjoyment of language learning itself” (Richard & Schmidt, 2010).

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The essence of motivation
Ryan & Deci (2000, p.69) mentions that motivation has to do with strength,
guidance, endurance and equifinality, having the same result from different
actions. They emphasise its importance and value because of the ramifications
it produces, hence our concern of how it works and how it can be taken
advantage of it. They clarify that even though motivation is seen as a singular
construct, even frivolous contemplation implies that many different types of
factors make people to act. Learners may be prompted to act because they
value an activity or because of external persuasion. They can take action by an
enduring interest or by a compensation. They can act from a sense of personal
commitment to transcend or from worry to be observed. That these diversions
between circumstances of “having internal motivation versus being externally
pressured” are likely well-known to most everyone.

Intrinsic motivation
As Ryan & Deci (2000, p. 70) reasonably points out, probably intrinsic
motivation is the single phenomenon that reflects the positive potential of
human nature. The inner propensity to pursue uniqueness and trials, to boost
and apply one’s capabilities, to discover and learn. They further mention that
developmentalists, as stated by Harter (1978), recognise that from the time
children are born, in their healthful states, they tend to be active, analytical,
inquisitive, and playful, even when there is no external compensation. This is
probably true for the majority of children but there is always a remnant that has
distinct interests, product of an array of reasons. These are the children that will
be in the scope of this research, to see how to reactivate those innate
characteristics seen by the developmentalists, using ludic activities that may
kindle that desire again.
It is important to keep one thing in mind about intrinsic motivation, and that is
that, regardless the fact that children are abundantly endowed with tendencies
towards it, there is clear evidence that maintenance and improvement of such
tendency needs supportive conditions, since it can be easily interrupted by
many unhelpful circumstances, as stated by Ryan & Deci (2000, p. 70). Seen
from another perspective, it seems that intrinsic motivation is an evolved

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propensity with its own challenges, where gamification may play an important
role to sustain it, in helping in the children’s learning process in the classroom.
In maintaining intrinsic motivation, according to Ryan & Deci (2000, p. 70),
beyond palpable compensations such as intimidation, deadlines, messages,
pressured evaluations, as well as demanded goals dwindle intrinsic motivation
because these strategies are regarded as external conditions seen with
disappointment by the children. On the other hand, alternatives,
acknowledgement of feelings, freedom for self-direction, improve intrinsic
motivation given that these actions allow children to experience a greater
perception of freedom.
Other field studies have shown that facilitators who support autonomy (as
oppose to be controlling) can instil greater intrinsic motivation, interest, and
desire for challenge in their learners as found by e.g., Deci, Nezlek, &
Sheinman, 1981; Flink, Boggiano, & Barrett, 1990; Ryan & Grolnick, 1986; as
cited by Ryan & Deci (2000, p. 71). Furthermore, learners taught within
controlling approach tend to lose initiative and learn less productively, notably
when learning demands theoretical, creative processing as stated by Amabile,
1996; Grolnick & Ryan, 1987; Utman, 1997; as mentioned by Ryan & Deci
(2000, p. 71). This is without mentioning the important role played by parents
and tutors in the perpetuation in intrinsic motivation.
In conclusion, it is suggested that an array of factors can help or hinder intrinsic
motivation by promoting vs. obstructing children’s inherent intellectual needs.
There are strong ties clearly demonstrated between intrinsic motivation and a
sense of achievement of autonomy. And, as Ryan & Deci (2000, p. 71) put it,
children will be intrinsically persuaded only in activities that carry intrinsic
interest to them. Exercises that are characterised for being innovating,
challenging, or aesthetically inviting.

Extrinsic motivation
Extrinsic motivation alludes to the accomplishment of an activity so to gain a
detachable result, which contrasts with intrinsic motivation, which alludes to
doing an activity for the innate enjoyment of the activity alone. According to
Ryan & Connell, 1989; Vallerand, 1997; as cited by Ryan & Deci (2000, p. 71),
Self-Determination theory (SDT) suggests that extrinsic motivation can diverge

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greatly in its corresponding autonomy, as opposed to the view that see
extrinsically motivated behaviour as constant and dependent. For instance,
learners who do their assignments because they personally perceive its benefit
for present or future are extrinsically motivated as those learners who do their
assignments because they are complying with their parents’ authority. Both
examples include contribution in place of enjoyment of the tasks, the latter
requires compliance with an outside regulation, still the former calls for personal
approval and a feeling of election. This last type of extrinsic motivation is the
most desired one due to its beneficial outcomes in the classroom.
Amotivation is the condition of lacking motivation, a purpose or a direction.
Ryan (1995), as cited by Ryan & Deci (2000, p. 72), tells us that amotivation
can result from not given value to an activity. This means that learners may find
an activity worthless to spend time in it. They may see no benefit from
accomplishing it, hence the importance that learners be able to see a benefit in
taking part in an activity as well so a desire can awaken.
Within the extrinsically motivated behaviours there are four types that vary in
degree of autonomy according to Ryan & Deci (2002, p. 72): “the external
regulation, the introjected regulation, the identified regulation & the integrated
regulation.”
a. The external regulation is where learners look to comply, may receive
rewards or punishments. Total external influence is required.
b. The introjected regulation is where learners sustain a little more self-control,
their ago may come into play, the rewards and punishments may be internal.
c. The identified regulation is more personal, importance, conscious, and
valuing come into play on whether or not to become motivated.
d. The integrated regulation is where congruence, awareness, synthesising
come into place. Total internal influence plays a role.
The set goals, the role of self-determination, the learner autonomy, and the
characteristics of effective motivational thinking, all play a role, being motivation
the dominant cause of success and deficiency in language learning.

Motivation’s importance in EFL

Certainly, without motivation very little can be accomplished. Motivation is the
drive that thrust us to start on an endeavour. Even on a day-to-day basis,

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motivation keep us going and help us to maintain a momentum in whatever
project we are on. In learning English and taking part in the daily activities on
any of the four skills, motivation is still an important aspect if not the most
important. As Gilakjani et al. (2012, p. 10) puts it, when referring to the issue of
motivation in EFL settings:
...is so important that other considerations about teaching methodology
seem to pale in comparison. It is important to think about motivation as
the essence of language teaching because of the stark realities of
learning English for most of our learners. All of the conditions that we
know contribute to successful second language learning are lacking in
most EFL contexts: there just is not enough English input in the
environment, there probably aren‘t enough opportunities for interaction
with English speakers, there usually aren‘t enough strong role models
promoting the learning of English, and there may not be widespread
enough social acceptance for the idea of becoming proficient in English.
So, due to those disadvantageous scenarios they mention, a learner must be
exceptionally motivated, of any type, but especially the extrinsically integrated
regulation type or the intrinsic motivation type to be able to thrive at learning
English as foreign language.

Generating motivation
In language learning there are three levels of motivation that are functional and
that can guide the influence of a teacher: a. finding learner’s passion; b.
changing learner’s reality; c. connecting to learning activities. In the degree that
he can use these levels, he is more prone to become an inspiring teacher
(Gilakjani et al., 2012, p. 10).
a. Finding learner’s passion
Successful learning is associated to a learner’s fascination. It means the
learners’ essential aims in life. The things they care about most and moves
them emotionally. It does not necessarily mean for them to become fascinated
with learning English but rather to connect English learning to their real
fascination in life, according to Rost (2006), as cited by Gilakjani et al. (2012, p.
10). Furthermore, he adds that the teacher can help learners in different ways.
For instance, introducing new topics into the classroom: music, movies, current

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topics, personalities, games, etcetera, in order to spark the learners’ authentic
interest; or teachers can allow learners to bring such examples of the
mentioned topics. Another thing that can be done is to help learners find what
fascinates them by coordinating class activities about the self-expression
theme. This can be accomplished through personalised tasks, journals, circles
of speaking, interactive questionnaires, etc. An additional form of generating
fascination is through immediacy, that is, the teacher being a model of
fascination himself of what he teaches. When students realised that the
essence of the class is personalised and the teacher answers to them as a
person, as opposed to a language instructor, it appeals to them into a greater
degree of commitment and inspiration.
b. Changing learner’s reality
In the EFL setting it is difficult for learners to make sufficient progress in the
language acquisition mainly because they do not get enough instruction,
receive adequate attention in class, nor sufficient input or meaningful interaction
for genuine output. An ordinary learner needs four hours a week minimum of
the language contact to be able to make progress. Even if this appraisal is not
true for every learner, it is generally accepted by most EFL teachers, that
students do not get enough language instruction in the classroom. They need
more quality instruction: input, interaction, opportunities for meaningful output,
etcetera, to maintain a strong bond to the language and build on their motivation
for learning, according to Rost (2006), as cited by Gilakjani et al. (2012, p. 11).
Moreover, he mentions that it is the teacher’s duty to help learners discover
opportunities for taking part in engaging learning activities outside the school.
For instance, directing them to quality language learning websites, making
available audios/videos, multimedia learning resources, etc; to develop a small
library of accessible readers, self-access quizzes, worksheets, and games. To
give them the opportunity to talk about the out-of-class work as to evaluate their
findings and progress. To help learners change their perspective towards
language learning means to change their reality, to take simple and self-
directed steps in deciding about their learning. This can aid in their motivation in
learning the language.
c. Connecting to learning activities

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Teachers desire their learners to relate to their prepared activities but often fail
in guiding efficiently a better connection between these two. Following are
some connecting principles that can aid in strengthening this association,
according to Rost (2006), as cited by Gilakjani et al. (2012, p. 11).
* To personalise warm ups to lead into an activity to create relevance,
important for effective memory work.
* To make every learning task as vivid (using visual aids --pictures,
charts, etc.) and palpable (using games, boards, index cards, etc.) as
possible; provide a variety of learning activities to tap into different
learning styles.
* To make sure every learner is implicated and has a role in every task;
assign roles in pair or small group activities.
* To include inductive learning in the lessons. To let learners, discover
grammar points, pragmatic patterns, new vocabulary, etcetera by their
own. To allow time for them to reflect. Remember that discovery learning
is meaningful and permanent.
* To provide feedback in all levels of language progress, including
aspects of performance which affect the learners’ motivation.

As it can be seen, learning EFL requires time and study, but not only that,
learners also face a number of obstacles that can lead them to lose their
fascination and eagerness towards language learning and that they must
overcome. Among these are, low self-esteem, exorbitant anxiety, even teachers
harsh disappointing attitude, as well as discouraging classroom atmospheres.
But even with these challenges, it is possible to make learners enthusiastic
about learning. This can be accomplished by designing appealing lesson with
an array of activities, supportive environments, etcetera (Dağgöl, 2013, p. 37).
Hence the idea of looking into increasing motivation in EFL through the use
games in primary school learners.

Gamification
Gamification is a relatively new term which has come into the educational scene
in the last decade, drawing the attention of academics and researchers alike,
due to the possibility to motivate and involve learners in a learning environment

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through games. But the use of games to master certain abilities, be these
physical or cognitive, it is not a new idea at all. According to Kumar et al.
(2016), as cited by Montosa (2018, p. 5), this practice can be traced back as
earlier as the year 5000 B.C. From classic board games, to modern video
games, to the abiding parks, amusement is treated as natural result
experienced by the human race.
The Merriam-Webster online dictionary defines gamification as the process
where games or game-like elements are added to tasks, for instance, as to
encourage participation in activities focused on learning or for other purposes.
Furthermore, it is mentioned that in the EFL learning, teachers use such term to
refer to game-like activities designed to motivate learners to meet challenges
and keep track of their progress, making it more fun, in a way that it feels like a
game.
Mangado (2017, p. 8) tells us that gamification maintains a close relation to
learning-based on games to the point where it can be said that it nourishes from
them. Kapp (2012), as cited by her, states that “gamification is using game-
based mechanics, aesthetics and game thinking to engage people, motivate
action, promote learning, and solve problems”. So there as it can be seen there
is close relation within these similar terms but if analysed closely each refers to
a specific form of perspective aimed at reaching specific goals.
Mangado (2017, p. 8) further explains that even though the term gamification
has distinct definitions it is more associated with methodologies where games
are used to accomplish meaningful tasks citing Sanchez (2015). She further
points out that even though the term ‘gamification’ is broadly used, the term
‘ludification’ is also used, but in a narrowly way, especially in Europe. She adds
that some authors state that both terms have distinct meanings in English and
are not equivalent although in Spanish ludificación would be the equivalent to
gamification but not to ludification. In English the term ludification is an old-
fashion term meaning, “an act of deception or mockery”, while gamification
means, “the process of adding games or game-like elements to something
(such as a task) so as to encourage participation”, as mentioned earlier, citing
the Merriam-Webster online dictionary.
Mayer & Johnson (2010), as cited by Montosa (2018, p. 6), define game as a
guideline-based setting that is sensitive to the participant’s actions, contributing

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proper challenges, and keeping an accumulative record of the participant’s
performance but without losing its essence of friskiness. Montosa (2018, p. 6),
deduces that games can be based on a mixture of many components,
especially, “the existence of rules, an adapting environment, an appropriate
level of difficulty, a series of scores, and fun in varying degrees”.

Serious games versus complete games

Following there are a few authors’ perspectives on games as cited by Montosa
(2018, p. 6): So, any game, which main objective is other than sheer pleasure,
is categorised as ‘serious’ games; the others are plainly categorised just as
games or as ‘complete games’, as mentioned by Muntean (2011). So, games
may be characterised by certain qualities that make them apt for certain
purposes. Furthermore, Muntean (2011), interprets serious games as “complete
games with serious intentions”. Kapp (2012) specifies that a “serious game is
an experience designed using game mechanics and game thinking to educate”
children in a particular content sphere. Goehle (2013), referring to serious
games practiced in education, comments that an “educational game is primarily
a game but has the secondary effect of teaching the user something”.
So, there is a consensus on the idea that the ‘complete’ games dissent from the
‘serious’ games chiefly on the aims, being the former to entertain participants,
and the latter, to instruct them in specific elements that can have a useful
application in life (Montosa, 2018, p. 6), such as in the classroom, through the
involvement in game-like activities, as to enhance learning.

Commercial video games

Now, there are a number of games that can be used in the classroom, some
more ‘suitable’ that others. It is worth mentioning that the distinction between
complete and serious games can be subtle. Let’s look at commercial video
games (CVG) which originally were designed to entertain users but have been
demonstrated practical in educational settings. CVG such as World of Warcraft,
Second Life, Minecraft, & Portal 2, are valuable to favour cooperation,
communication, & language learning, according to Buckley & Doyle, 2014;
Isaac, 2015; Centre for Teaching Excellence, 2016; as cited by Montosa (2018,
p. 7).

15
Even though their purpose is to entertain their audiences, not all CVG have to
be used in a classroom setting for children to benefit from its educational value.
There is an infinite number of commercial video games on the ever-changing
market that subconsciously train their users in a variety of skills such as logical
thinking, problem solving, decision making, etc. Playing these CVG also require
pair work among players and to communicate through written chats or voice
favouring cooperation, language skills, and foreign language learning (FLL)
where the player’s first language is different to the server’s official language.
Also, for instance Quiplash 2 and Drawful 2, can be adapted for teaching EFL,
and Kahoot! (Considered a serious game) be used outside the classroom for
the purpose of entertaining (Montosa, 2018, p. 8). These CVG as an option in
boosting motivation in EFL are not discarded at all but rather seen as a
possibility, although given the nature of the educational setting where the study
will be carried out, it may have additional challenges to factor CVG in.
There are different definitions and affirmations derived from the use, in this
case, of CVG. In general, various researchers on the topic of gamification agree
that it helps players solve problems in the course of solving tasks by applying a
game thinking and game mechanics in the process. Kapp (2012), as recounted
by Montosa (2018, p. 8), after analysing distinct definitions from an array of
sources mentions that gamification is, “using game-based mechanics,
aesthetics and game thinking to engage people, motivate action, promote
learning, and solve problems”. Lister (2015), as cited by Montosa (2018, p. 9),
after reviewing other authors, concluded that gamification includes “selecting
elements of games, and using these to create a game-like environment in a
non-game context to increase user experience and engagement. Therefore,
what is being clear here is that not every CVG nor every aspect of these are or
can be necessary to conceive an atmosphere of engagement in learning but
rather a few can spark the motivation.
One other resource that has come to play an important role in the language
learning field are the distinct applications known as Apps, which focus in
building up on the distinct language skills. It is interesting to note that these are
easy to find and download from Playstore accessing many of these for free.
Although these provide more traditional-like exercises they are still fun to use
given that most of them function using the point rewarding system, “which

16
makes up the bases of any gamified system” according to Zichermann &
Cunningham (2011) as cited by Montosa (2018, p. 11).

Gamification components
The essential components of gamification are varied and each has a purpose to
fulfil. According to Figueroa’s chart (2015), as shared by Mangado (2016, p. 9),
these components with their definitions help us in grasping the idea of how the
process is and the purpose of each element, and how to possibly use them
depending on the employing of the game in the teaching of a language.

Points Numeric gathering based on given activities.

Badges Visual depiction of achievements for the use.
Classification Ranking of players based on success.
charts/Leaderboards
Progress Shows player status.
bar/Progression
Performance graphs Shows player performance.
Missions/Quests Some of the tasks players have to accomplish.
Levels A section of the game.
Avatars Visual representation of a player.
Social elements Relationships with other users throughout the
game.
Reward system System to motivate players to accomplish a quest.

One last important aspect by which gamification is defined according to Román

(2011), as mentioned by Mangado (2016), is feedback, which is the giving back
of the evaluation of an activity or performance. Taking into consideration some
essential aspects, as Díaz and Troyano (2013) stated, the basis of the game,
the mechanics, the aesthetics, the idea of the game, the connexion game-
player, the players, the motivation, the promoting of learning, and solution of
problems (Mangado, 2016, p. 9).

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Printable activities
In gamifying the classroom there is a number of other options available. For
instance, the traditional-like activities with a touch of ludicness. The important
thing to take into consideration when setting such activities are the goals and
what we want the learners to achieve according to Bernardo (2009) as cited by
Nascimento (2017, p. 5). Her further advice is that it is necessary to create an
explicit environment where to apply the ludic activities which interests and keep
learners motivated in participating. Also, it is important for the learners to
understand the reason and intention of the activity given, “so they can realize
that they are learning as well as playing when engaging in activities which are
fun and which involve reading, writing, listening and speaking”.

Ludic and pedagogical aspects in activities

It is important to have in mind not just to have the fun aspect but also the
pedagogical aspects of activities when planning and applying them.
Games, according to Nascimento (2017, p. 5), are good instruments to aid in
the acquiring of communicative abilities and collaboration among students.
Citing Read (2007), when given English lessons to primary age learners, games
are an important part because they cater for the stimulation, motivation, and
interest, necessary to awaken favourable attitudes aiding in the learning
process. Ludic activities are enjoyable and entertaining driving the youngsters
to use the language naturally and spontaneously.
* Arrangement (pair/group) stimulate collaboration, interaction –a positive
perception of learning with peers. Depending on the selected
arrangement, the learning takes place through the process of sharing
and exchanging ideas, experiences, and perspectives. A dynamic
interaction can be developed (Nascimento, 2017, p. 5).
* Songs/Rhymes/Chants being sung and practiced by learners
repeatedly helps them generate language spontaneously, in a more
natural and fun pleasing form. These tools awaken constructive attitudes
& interest in the different stages of language learning, be it in the
presentation of new language, the consolidation, the developing of
listening, or the speaking skills stages according to Read (2007) as
mentioned by Nascimento (2017, p. 6).

18
 * Dramatizations/Role-plays increase the imagination, the fantasy, the
cooperation, the interaction skills, their attention and their motivation. It
helps learners to learn by getting involved in the activities. An association
is developed between actions, gestures, and words, with meanings. It
helps them to memorise key language in a simple, fun way, as
mentioned by Read (2007) and cited by Nascimento (2017, p. 6).
* Illustrations/Flashcards provide visual stimulation and memory support
to permit learners comprehend the meaning and produce “meaningful
language” (Halliwell, 1992) as cited by Nascimento (2017, p. 6).
* Stories, fables, legends, tales, etcetera, develop the learner’s
capability for imaginative play, according to Read (2007); which helps in
language development and use eventually (Nascimento, 2017, p. 6).

Ludic game types

There is wide variety of ludic activities that can be used to make classes more
appealing and entertaining for learners. The following chart shows some of
these with some examples of how they can be applied in class to allure
students and wake up in them the interest as mentioned by Blanco, (2012) as
cited by Proaño (2018, p. 16).
Sensorial These games exercise the senses: the visual, the ‘Guess
games auditory, the tactile, the smell, and the taste. games-
closed
eyes’
Motor The involvement of movement and expressions that ‘Simon
games start in an involuntary way: to walk, to run, to jump, says’
to crawl, to rotate, to push, & to throw. Children
exercise motive abilities & discharge accumulative
tensions.
Manipulativ The movements related to manipulation of objects is ‘Puzzles
e game done: to hold, to fasten, to press, to attack, to catch, , Legos’
to fit, to thread, to coil, to hit, to model, to trace, to
empty, & to empty (4 months).

19
 Imitation The reproduction of expressions, sounds, tapping, ‘Role
games etc. games’
Symbolic Fiction, giving new meaning to objects, a stick into a ‘Role
games horse, a sister into a daughter, a puppet into patient games’
(2yrs.).
Verbal Favour and enrich the learning of a language (4 ‘Tongue
games months). twisters’
Logical- The association of characteristics: opposites, for ‘Word
reasoning instance, day-night, black-white, short-tall, right- games’
games wrong.
Space Those that require the scene-puzzle reproduction or ‘Puzzles
relationship- puzzles. Observe and reproduce the relationships ’
games implied among pieces.
Relationship Material with temporary sequences, for instance the ‘?’
storm vignettes to be order appropriately accordingly to
games the temporary sequence.
Games by Recognising and remembering previous ‘Any
heart experiences especially those games associated to known
the senses. game’
Games of This type of game allows children to skip reality for a ‘Imagina
fantasy while and to experience the imaginary world where ry friend
everything is possible where actions can be games’
manipulated as desired. This can be done in created
individual or collective stories, etc.

English as a foreign language

English as a foreign language is a phrase that refers to the formal learning
process of the language by learners in a country where English is not the official
language. It is characterised by the very limited opportunities to use the
language outside the classroom. It is taught in schools as one of the subjects
with the purpose to develop proficiency in the language focusing on the four
language skills: listening, reading, speaking & writing. Learning takes place in

20
the process of discovery, participation, and study facilitated by the language,
according to Richards & Schmidt (2010).
In the case of English teaching there is a number of methods and approaches
that can be used in the teaching-learning process of pupils. Among the methods
we have the Community Language Teaching (CLT), the Total Physical
Response (TPR), the Communicative Language Teaching (CLT), the Content &
Language Integrated Learning (CLIL), etc. In the approaches we have the
Content-Based Learning (CBL), the Task-Based Learning (TBL), Project-Based
Learning (PBL), etc. In this study will be carried out in a classroom where a
communicative approach has been tried to follow with strategies picked
eclectically to try to suit learners needs.
It is evident that the learning environment where the study will be taken place is
in EFL classroom. This the stage where the challenge of having learners being
demotivated and distracting their peers have taken place. Fortunately, it is not
everyone, and as Enever (2015) states, as mentioned by Nascimento (2017, p.
4), in normal conditions young learners are highly motivated in taking part in
enjoyable new experiences in EFL learning. So, hence the need to research
why not all of them take part through the applying of some different activities
categorised within gamification.

21
CHAPTER THREE

Methodological framework
Motivation is a very important aspect in the learning of a foreign language in
general. Motivation can be seen as the essential ingredient in starting a new
venture, without it not much can be accomplished. In attaining a foreign
language, it is essential because it is the propelling force that will thrust forward
students to desire to learn. Having some students that lack the motivation to
learn English as a foreign language in my classroom has been a frequent
recurrence. I carried out a scale-down research to find out what could be done
to help these students be more motivated to take part in the English class
activities.
The school where this research has been carried out is a public primary school
in the urban area of Mexico City, bordering a somewhat impoverished area,
making the school population diverse economically speaking and more so, due
to the pandemic for COVID-19. This aspect can be reflected in the motivation of
some students. They seem to have other priorities than to learn the English
language, so, inspiration to learn a foreign language can be difficult to stimulate.
The discouragement seems to go beyond their own decisions, perhaps it may
be rooted in their own family and how they see life and society as a whole.
The Programa Nacional de Inglés (PRONI) objectives are well established, --to
prepare students to a specific level of English by the time they finish their
secondary school years. Many parents are aware and value these goals by
encouraging their children to be actively involved in the English classes,

22
participating, turning in homework as needed, etc. Unfortunately, there are a
number of parents that lack the more global vision of preparing children for the
future; they do not encourage their children to make an effort to emerge, or to
be outstanding in the subject. Those are the children my research focusses on,
to see how I can motivate them, through gamified activities and exercises in the
classroom/from a distance, using platforms such as Wordwall, Kahoot!,
Educaplay Quizziz, Liveworksheets,, etcetera, where they can review
vocabulary and grammar through games.
An important situation that should be mentioned and be taken into consideration
is the inevitable contingency for COVID-19, because it forced all schools to
close. It prompted a change in the way teachers taught, from giving classes
face-to-face to give classes online using electronic devices with connexion to
internet. This contingency aggravated the already difficult economic situation
many of students already had, making them more vulnerable and unable to take
classes on line due to the lack of an electronic device and/or connexion to
internet. This is reflected not only in the increment of discouragement, but also
in a raise in absences to online classes when compared to the face-to-face
modality. Fortunately, as the pandemic is dwindling and classes are offered in
the classroom more and more students are getting back to school, though the
poor economic situation avails for many.
In finding ways to lower demotivation and increase participation some ideas
surfaced taking into consideration the profile of this particular group and
possible preferences to get motivated in taking part in the English activities. The
group used in this study is a 4th grade ‘B’, made up of 32 students, 9 to 10
years old. There are 16 girls and 16 boys. About 40% are visual, 40% are
auditory, and 20% are kinaesthetic. They are in a false A1 level with some
exceptions. A group in a public school, PRONI, focussing on distinct
communicative abilities through the creation of learning environments every
month. The group is outgoing and analytical. They enjoy watching
videos/movies, play videogames, listen to music, and a few play sports. The
group resorts to L1 in simple interactions most of the time.
The question constructed to try to find a possible solution, taking into
consideration the students’ possible preferences in activities in their learning
processes, is, ‘How does the use of games impact A1 level primary students’

23
motivation towards the learning English process’, with the related objective, ‘To
see what impact games have on my primary student’s learning process
motivation.’
Before expanding on the process of this study, it is worth to mention that it falls
under an action research (AR) scheme. According to Burns (2010, pp.2), AR
concerns taking a self-reflective, critical, and systematic approach to scrutinise
our own teaching contexts. This implies taking a questioning and
‘problematising’ stance towards our own teaching. This implies to take an area
we feel could be improved subjecting it to questioning, and then develop new
ideas and options. Thus, one of the main objectives of AR is to establish a
‘problematic’ situation that the participants consider worth looking into more
closely and systematically. Burns (2010, pp.2), mentions that, “the central idea
of the action part of AR is to intervene in a deliberate way in the problematic
situation in order to bring about changes and, even better, improvements in
practice.” She goes on to mention that the most important thing in AR is that the
improvements that take place are not based on mere hunches, but on solid
information the action researcher gather systematically.
As it can be appreciated, AR is a method where a real problematic situation is
identified and actions are carried out to give a solution to the problem. It can be
a troublesome behaviour in class or a learning situation, but by putting in
practice the AR proven approach, there is a good possibility to find a solution to
the problem or decrease it. This is what is desired to be accomplished in my
classroom given the problematic situation I currently face in some of my primary
school students.
Within the AR there is mainly one method that can be followed, the qualitative
approach, and even though some statistics can be shown, given the nature of
the process followed, it cannot be said to be a quantitative arrangement.
According to Mendoza (2006), the qualitative research is based on a qualitative
prototype, which is based on the phenomenology. It is aligned to analyse the
attitude, the behaviour, the perception of people, it ‘prioritise the human
behaviour’. This research begins with a process of analysing facts, the
empirical, and in this process establishes a theory that can uphold:
* the investigation processes
* the prior discoveries

24
 * the analysis & synthesis
* the induction & generalization
* the bibliography
It is established on methods of collecting data. It is also flexible to the
researcher’s creativity and imagination. Another interesting fact is the closer
relationship between the researcher and the group of individuals from where
data is attained for analysis.
In the qualitative approach there are a variety of ways to structure the research
report, according to Mendoza (2006). This is because the putting together of
this type of report is very flexible and does not follow strict rules or standards
clearly set by the majority of researchers. In other words, there is great flexibility
which can be advantageous for amateur and creative researches alike.
In the qualitative research, quantification is avoided. Qualitative researchers use
a variety of instruments that can be completed in a relaxed mode such as:
questionnaires, interviews, observation, student work, reflective journals, etc.
This is done to aid themselves in understanding the phenomena that is being
studied. In the study to be carried out some of these instruments are planned to
be used anticipating they will be a valuable asset to find a solution the
problematic situation in question.
To find an answer to the research question and accomplish the objectives of the
action research project, the implementation of three distinct activities were
planned in a time period of three weeks and students were able to take part in
them. Due to the arrangement in classes and schedules (50% of students take
classes face-to-face [25% one day & 25% another day] once a week; and 50%
of students take classes on-line once every 15 days.) students had to do the
activities online, some students during the on-line class session, and a few
others whenever they were able get online. The advantage of the activities was
that such activities were on online platforms. In the online class sessions, the
activities were given during the class, as it was stated in the lesson plan. The
activities consisted in getting on the Wordwall platform (or any other) and select
a game, the game show quiz for instance, to reinforce classroom materials. We
as a group, taking turns, mentioned what moves to make next, what vocabulary
to choose, or what words to move to make logical sentences in the case of
grammar, etc. Most students tried the same game (or a variation) on their own

25
later on. For the few students in classroom, we did something similar in turns.
The study instruments were then filled out.
The action research study had the following instruments: one survey (done
previously to the study), one checklist (filled out during the each of the
gamification activities when possible), and one perception questionnaire
(filled-out at the end of each gamification activity). These instruments used
during this period of time will help in measuring and identifying changes in
attitude and motivation to get involved in the English activities in class. These
instruments then went through an analysis of what was recorded in search of
finding an answer to the research question and achieve the objectives.
These instruments were used as followed: at the beginning of the study, a
survey was applied to the whole group. The survey’s questions were regarding
their preferences in the English class activities for the session to be more
pleasant. The second instrument was a checklist, where certain statements
were check about performance and attitudes seen during the course of each
gamification activity. The third and last instrument applied was a perceptions
questionnaire. This tool was filled out at the end of each gamification activity to
try to collect information regarding the students’ awareness of the task. These
last two implements were not modified to be applied at the distinct gamification
activities, the same questions were used as this was essential, given that the
activities are the variables. It is worth stating that both, the survey and the
perceptions questionnaire, were designed in the students’ mother tongue given
that comprehension is not part of the analysis, but rather the influence
gamification activities have on English classes’ motivation. The designing of the
activities in such language helped in getting more accurate answers from the
students’ feelings and opinions on the activities studied.
It is worth mentioning that all used instruments were piloted to see their
reliability in getting the proper information focusing on their intelligibility and
coherence. These instruments where tried with fellow colleagues, advisors, and
teachers. The recommendations were many and varied, mainly regarding the
structuring of questions/statements and the vocabulary used, given the age and
level of comprehension of the target students. All of the recommendations were
taken into considerations and changes were made. Even during the time, the
instruments were being applied, other last-minute changes were made, so

26
students could understand and answer more precisely what the intended
question was meant to evoke.
The games used, to see their influence in motivation, were: a sensorial game,
to exercise the senses, --a cross word (where students filling letter to form
words having a for a hint a picture); a trivia game, to test memory, --a
gameshow quiz (where students chose a word according to the picture shown);
a manipulative game, handling of images, --a puzzle (where students move
pieces around to form a figure following instructions). These games were
selected to conform to the characteristics mentioned in the theoretical
framework as activities that may be triggering in the developing of motivation to
aid in the learning processes, and are desirable within a pedagogical scheme.
As it can be seen from the above description, a recount is given about the
problematic situation observed in some of my students, and the distinct
instrumentation planned to use, in the hopes to understand this phenomenon
better and find a possible solution.

27
CHAPTER FOUR

Action description and results

Description
In the study about what influence gamification activities have in the motivation
of primary students with an English level A1, to get involved actively in classes,
I used three types of instruments. As mentioned before, these were: a semi-
structured questionnaire/survey in Spanish (done before applying the gamified
activities), a checklist (done during the carrying out of the gamified activities),
and a perceptions questionnaire in Spanish (done after doing the gamified
activities).

The semi-structured questionnaire/survey

In the semi-structure questionnaire/survey the following six questions were
included, all of them with different options for the students to choose from. The
objective of the questionnaire/survey was to identify certain aspects that could
motivate students to take part with more effort, in the English class activities.
The results are shown in the bar graphs.

28
29
The checklist
In the checklist the statements were structured focussing to examine different
elements such as concentration, behaviour, attitude, performance,
perseverance, motivation, feelings, and the socialising of gamified activities.
The results are shown by the numbers on each column.
No. Statements Crossword G-show Puzzle

30
 quiz
Points Points Points
1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3
1 Student read and followed 0 4 8 0 4 8 0 6 6
directions attentively.
2 Student stayed on-task actively 0 3 9 0 3 9 0 3 9
without or little help.
3 Student looked for solutions 2 3 7 0 6 6 1 3 8
eagerly as needed.
4 Student achieved more than 80% 0 4 8 1 6 5 1 4 7
of the points possible.
5 Student stay focused and 0 4 8 0 2 10 0 3 9
completed all the activity.
6 The student looked motivated 1 2 9 1 3 8 1 3 8
during the developing of the
activity.
7 The student looked happy at the 0 6 6 0 4 8 0 3 9
end of the activity.
8 The student shared with peers his 5 2 5 4 2 6 5 1 6
experience with the activity
afterwards.

The perceptions questionnaire

In the perceptions questionnaire, the questions where structured to identify
feelings, interests, association to previous knowledge, attitude, the fun, and the
possible modification of certain activities as well. The results are represented by
the numbers on each column.
1. ¿Cómo te sentiste al jugar la actividad Crossword G-show Puzzle
de esta sesión? quiz
a. Excelente 3 5 6
b. Muy bien 4 5 4
c. Regular 5 2 2
d. Mal

31
e. Muy mal
¿Por qué? _________________________
¿Cómo te gustaría mejor? _____________

2. ¿Te llamó la atención la actividad? Crossword G-show Puzzle

quiz
a. Si, mucho 4 6 7
b. Si, algo 4 2 1
c. Regular 3 3 4
d. No mucho 1 1
e. Nada
¿Porqué? _________________________
¿Cómo te gustaría mejor? ____________

3. ¿Relacionaste lo que reforzamos en Crossword G-show Puzzle

la clase con el juego? quiz
a. Si, mucho 5 4 4
b. Si, algo 5 6 3
c. Regular 2 2 4
d. No mucho
e. Nada 1
¿Porqué? _________________________
¿Cómo te gustaría mejor? ____________

4. ¿Te sientes con más ganas de tomar Crossword G-show Puzzle

la clase de inglés? quiz
a. Si, mucho 5 7 7
b. Si, algo 5 3 1
c. Regular 1 2 3
d. No mucho 1 1
e. Nada
¿Porqué? _________________________
¿Cómo te gustaría mejor? ____________

32
5. ¿Qué se te hizo más Crossword G-show quiz Puzzle
divertido de la actividad?
Se me hizo divertido… 9 12 12

Porque… (algunos -le gustan -ser bajo -la

comentaron) los tiempo manipulación
crucigramas -la modalidad de imágenes
-el -la selección de -por aprender
vocabulario palabras más
-aprender -ser fácil -por lo
más -la obtención entretenido
-es de puntos -le encanto
entretenido -fue muy
-le gusta el divertido
idioma -aprender más
inglés -le gusto el
-le gusta juego
trabajar
-se divierte
¿Cómo hubiera sido mejor? 1 tener
(algunos comentaron) tiempo libre
2 que fuera
más fácil

6. ¿Les gustaría cambiar Crossword G-show quiz Puzzle

algo de la actividad que
hicimos?
No, no cambiaría nada. 9 10 12

Si, cambiaría… (algunos 1 a tiempo 1 que hubiera

comentaron) libre más preguntas
1 el 1 que fuera
vocabulario más intuitivo

33
 1 el nivel de
dificultad

The above data was collected with the chosen instruments for this action
research. In the semi structure questionnaire/survey, either in person or online
(through Google Forms), there was a higher participation, almost 70% of
students. In the collection of data using the checklist and the perceptions’
questionnaire, during and after the activities, the collected data dwindle
substantially due mainly to the regular absences of student in the group. This
situation affected my study because it reduced the group of participants and
their feedback for a more precise conclusion.

34
CHAPTER FIVE

Analysis

Results
In the action research carried out about the impact of activities with gamification
elements in increasing motivation to foster foreign language learning topic, the
yielding results showed a positive correlation between the applying of gamified
activities and the raising of students’ participation.
In general, an improvement in motivation is observable during the English
classes due to the use of gamified activities. This means that the conventional
English classes given with implemented gamified activities in certain forms and
at different times during the class, influence positively the motivation of the
students to take an active role in class and hence improving their English
language experience.

Evidence
In reaching this conclusion the results from three different instruments used
were examined, these were: a semi-structured interview, used to identify certain
aspects that could motivate the students more to take part in the English
activities; a checklist, where certain feelings and behaviours shown (positive
and negative) during the performing of the activities were registered for later
analysing; and a perception questionnaire, which was completed after each
gamified activity, where questions were made to identified feelings, interests,
the association to previous learnings, the attitudes, the fun elements, as well as
other aspects related to the activity.

35
It was compelling to see how during this process of the study I become more
aware of the gamify activities and their effect on the students’ behaviour and
attitude. The fact of mentioning to the students the study, it made them more
self-conscious about their own involvement in the class and tried to do their best
in every gamified activity.
From the forementioned instruments used to gather the information regarding
the effect of three selected gamified activities on primary age level A1 students’
motivation to take part in English classes more actively, the following evidence
was gathered.

The semi-structure interview analysis

In the semi-structured interview six multiple-answer questions were given (in
Spanish). Their goal was to identify conditions that could motivate students to
take a more active role during the English class.
First question: what kind of activities do you like to do a lot and which of these
would you like to do in class more often. From the 18 students interviewed,
eight opted for solving time/untimed activities online, other four opted for playing
memorama. The rest of the students were distributed among the other options.
The results showed that a slight majority of the interviewees lean towards online
activities as opposed to pen/paper exercises.
Second question: who do you like to play with the games that you like more.
With a classmate and in small group have a clear advantage over the other
options. This means that the students prefer to work with someone or in a small
group, rather than playing alone or a big group.
Third question: how much time would you like to last a fun activity. The
students’ answers were split, while seven students opted for 3 minutes, six
opted for more than 12 minutes. This means that while some students like
three-minute fun activities, and are more interested in serious work, others
prefer longer than 12-minute fun activities, they lean towards a more relaxed
way of work.
Fourth question: when we have class, do you like the fun activities at the
beginning, at the middle, or at the end of the class. About the preferred time to
have a fun activity, it was intriguing to find out that half of the interviewees
prefer to have a fun activity in the middle of the class, as opposed to have them

36
at the beginning or the end of the class, although a third of them selected fun
activities at the end of class as well.
Fifth question: what do you understand for fun learning activities (gamified).
Here, the idea was to find out if students could figure out that all options, except
for the last one (none of the above), referred to the gamified activities. Almost
1/3 of the interviewees figured out the similarities in the statements, for the
other 2/3, the options meant something more specific. The good thing is that
they all identified a relationship between the statements.
Sixth question: in what modality do you prefer to do the fun activities. The
group was divided almost evenly, having a slight advantage the third option
(face-to-face & online). The second option (online) presented a slight
disadvantage compared to the first option (face-to-face). What this tells me is
that students do not have much of a preference in doing fun activities in either
modality.
As it can be seen from the semi-structured interview results carried out before
the actual study, there is a pattern of preferences which could motivate students
to take part in the English class if such pattern is followed when doing gamified
activities.
The deducted results are that most students like to take part in activities that
look like games but actually help them to learn the English language. If in the
classroom, they rather have them in the middle of the class, play them for no
longer than three minutes and with a classmate. If online, the activities can be
timed/untimed. The enjoy them both.
Another smaller group of interviewees enjoy fun activities that encourage their
learning. They prefer the face-to-face modality (in the classroom) to take part in
games such as memorama, in small groups, for longer than 12 minutes at the
end of the class, as opposed to the larger group of their classmates.
So, from initial interview answers, it is evident that there is an inclination for the
students not only to take part in gamified activities in certain ways, but also it
gives a glimpse of willingness and motivation to take part in the class as a
whole.

37
The checklist analysis
In the checklist, eight statements were used with three options each one
showing the degree of performance. The objective was to see how well/poor
individual students attended the different actions in the process of carrying out
the activities successfully for a later analysis and see if there a correlation
between a successful/unsuccessful completion of activities. Unfortunately, due
to the unusual conditions caused by the current pandemic, many students did
not take part in the proposed activities as planned.
The statements were focused to examine the concentration, the behaviour, the
attitude, the performance, the perseverance, the motivation, the feelings, and
the socialization. The following chart shows the results from the three sample
activities (a crossword to be completed with school supplies vocabulary --a
picture was shown as a hint; a game quiz, where students selected a word to
label a picture from six options; a puzzle of a large image where students had to
manipulate the different pieces).
No. Statements Crossword G-show Puzzle
quiz
Points Points Points
1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3
1 Student read and followed 0 4 8 0 4 8 0 6 6
directions attentively.
2 Student stayed on-task actively 0 3 9 0 3 9 0 3 9
without or little help.
3 Student looked for solutions 2 3 7 0 6 6 1 3 8
eagerly as needed.
4 Student achieved more than 80% 0 4 8 1 6 5 1 4 7
of the points possible.
5 Student stay focused and 0 4 8 0 2 10 0 3 9
completed all the activity.
6 The student looked motivated 1 2 9 1 3 8 1 3 8
during the developing of the
activity.
7 The student looked happy at the 0 6 6 0 4 8 0 3 9
end of the activity.

38
 8 The student shared with peers his 5 2 5 4 2 6 5 1 6
experience with the activity
afterwards.
As it can be seen from the above chart showing the statements and activities,
the selected options and points given are quite varied.
Statement 1: student read and followed directions attentively. 39% of the
students attained only 2/3 of the points while 61% of them achieved all three
points. This means that more than half of the students followed directions.
Statement 2: student stayed on-task actively without or little help. 25% of the
students obtained 2/3 of the possible points while 75% of them achieved all 3
points. This means that most students kept on task actively.
Statement 3: student looked for solutions eagerly as needed. The answers
were varied, for instance, 9% of the students achieved only 1/3 of the possible
points, 33% of them achieved 2/3 of the points, while 58% achieved all possible
points. This means that more than half of the students looked for ways to
complete the activities successfully.
Statement 4: student achieved more than 80% of the points possible. 5% of the
students achieved 1/3 of the possible points (less than 60% of points in
gamified activities), 39% of them achieved 2/3 of the points (between 60% to
80% of points in the gamified activities), while 56% achieved all points possible
(over 80% of points in gamified activities). These results showed the
comprehension and perseverance of students in obtaining the greatest number
of points in the gamified activities done.
Statement 5: student stay focused and completed all the activity. 25% of the
students achieved 2/3 of the points while 75% of them achieved all possible
points. This means that most students completed successfully the gamified
activity.
Statement 6: the student looked motivated during the developing of the activity.
8% of the students achieved 1/3 of the possible points, 22% of them achieved
2/3 of the points, while 70% obtained all points possible. Here, a high
percentage showed to be motivated during the activity.
Statement 7: the student looked happy at the end of the activity. 36% of the
students achieved 2/3 of the points while 64% of them achieved all possible

39
points. This means that most students showed a sense of achievement in
completing this task.
Statement 8: the student shared with peers his experience with the activity
afterwards. 38% of the students achieved 1/3 of the possible points, 13% of
them achieved 2/3 of the points, while 49% achieved all points possible. As
seen, there was some socialisation of their experience with the gamified
activities with others as expected.
As it can be observed from the chart and percentages above, there was a
positive attitude towards the carrying out of the gamified activities. Students
tried to do their best and only on a limited aspects students did not respond as
desired, which is typical.

The perceptions’ questionnaire analysis

In the perceptions questionnaire six questions were employed for each of the
three activities (crossword, game show quiz, & puzzle), each giving a degree of
like and dislike. The objective was to identified a certain feeling, interest,
association of knowledge, attitude, fun, possible modification of activities,
etcetera, and based on these answers judge whether these kinds of gamified
activities improve motivation in the students, to get involved more actively in the
English classes.
Question 1: how do you felt playing the activity. 25% of the students said they
felt regular taking part in it, 36% of them said they felt very good about it, while
38% said they felt excellent playing this activity.
Question 2: was the activity interesting. 5% of the students said not much, 27%
of them said regular, 19% said yes somewhat, and 47% of them said yes, a lot.
This means that the chosen gamified activities looked interesting enough, half
of the student did not find them as attractive. Other activities ought to be chosen
to try and change their perception.
Question 3: did you relate the topic of the class with the game with the game
(changed). 3% of the students said nothing at all. 22% of them said more or
less, 39% said yes somehow, and 36% of them said that yes, a lot. This means
that although the chosen activities where related to the subject a greater effort
ought to be done so the students identify a better relationship between these
two.

40
Question 4: do you have a greater desire to take the English class. 5% of the
students said that not much, 17% of them said somewhat, 25% said yes
somehow, and 53% said yes, a lot. What this means is that those students who
enjoy the activities are were more prone to get a joy out of the class.
Question 5: what was the most fun in the activity. Here the answers varied. On
the crossword activity, 9 students mentioned that they liked crosswords, the
vocabulary, to learn more, it was fun, they like English, they like to work. I think
that these justifications are valid. I ought to keep using this kind of games to
familiarised my students better with this kind of activities. Though, one student
mentioned this game would be better without timing, and two others said that it
would be better if this was easier. On the game show quiz, all 12 students like
the activity, they mentioned that they liked the timing, the modality, the
vocabulary, being easy, the attaining of points, the fun, & the stimulation of
learning. On the puzzle game, again, all 12 students like the activity. They
mentioned that they liked it, the manipulation of images, the easiness in
learning, & that it was the fun. I think that these last two types of activities were
easier and encouraged learners to make positive comments about them.
Question 6: would you change something in the activity we did. Here the
answers varied as well. On the crossword activity, 9 students mentioned that
they would not change anything while three mentioned that they would change
the timing, the vocabulary, and the level of difficulty. Here I think it is a matter of
getting student more familiarised with the activities --vocabulary and grammar.
On the game show quiz activity, 10 students said that they would not change
anything, but one said that he would add more questions and another one
wished for the game to be more intuitive. I think this activity was well like and
accepted by the students. On the puzzle activity, all 12 students liked the
activity and did not say anything about changing characteristics to it.
Overall, the perceptions questionnaire reflected the likes and dislikes of certain
elements in the activities and helps to have a glimpse of their likes and interest
as well as what motivates them to take part in the English classes.

Answering the research question

The research question was, ‘How does the use of games impact A1 level
primary students’ motivation towards the learning English process?’ I think that

41
the data collected do shed some light on how the gamified activities influence
motivation on the English learning of primary school A1 level students.
In the first instrument students showed a slight tendency for online activities as
opposed to pen and paper tasks, (this is good because the current tendency is
to work online). They also prefer to work with a classmate or in a small group if
in the face-to-face modality, as well as enjoying to work in short fun activities
(three minutes long) in the middle of the class as opposed to long activities at
the beginning or end of class.
The above-mentioned preferences helped me to make some last-minute
adjustments before applying my gamify activities hence discarding later on
comments on their preferences.
In the second instrument, the fact that students followed directions, kept on task
actively, looked for ways to complete the activities successfully, strived to attain
the greatest points possible, finishing successfully, looking motivated, being
happy at the end, and showing some socialisation of the activities, tells me that
the impact of gamified activities, regularly used during the English classes, can
improve the students’ motivation to take part actively during the class. If
compared to previous classes where no gamified activities were used, during
these classes the student did get motivated and got involved more actively, this
was seen in the completion of their subject’s work, their productive participation,
being more curious about next classes’ activities, etc.
In the last instrument students commented on their perception of the gamified
activities used, as well as some opinions about them. It was thought-provoking
to hear that the great majority of the students mentioned positive things about
the activities they had played. Comments like that of feeling excellent to play,
finding the activities very interesting, associating them to the topics seen,
enjoying them, liking characteristics unique to gamification activities (timing,
points, badges, etc.), feeling good afterwards, etc. This means to me that
gamification activities can play a role in improving motivation on A1 level
primary students in their process of learning the English language.

42
Some limitations Thank you! You are one of the few who
remembered to include this section.
Limitations on any type of research can be present, and varied, due to many
factors that can influence the study. This was not the exception on this study;
however, an effort was done to meet those new challenges. My action research
project experienced some limitations that impacted the overall study.
The first limitation that I experienced was the reduced number of students who
actually took part in my action research project. The contingency for the
pandemic took a toll on the class participation on all modalities (face-to-face,
on-line, & at a distance) mainly due to economic situations which affects the
families directly. The effect on not having all contemplated students resulted in
a limited number of samples to obtain a more nourished conclusion of the study.
A second limitation was the tight deadline is to be able to apply the instruments,
the gamification activities (in my case), and the analysing of the findings. Not a
small task given the unfavourable situation for the pandemic, my lack of
expertise in handling samples to analyse and understand, to be able to interpret
and conclude with a solid result. This concern surges given that the group
where the study was carried out was seen every other week due to the
contingency, nonetheless certain strategies were carried out to contact and
keep in touch with most students even during the time out of class.
One last limitation that I had was the type of instruments designed for this
purpose. Although they were analysed by distinct colleagues and mentors, the
concern was whether they were sufficient enough to gather reliable information
in determining the degree of impact a has over b. According to the analysis
given to the gathered information, they did okay though the
questions/statements could have been written in a more fitted way to get
precise on the information on the distinct information wanted.

Reaching the objectives

Beyond the limitations and many other obstacles faced, I think that the
objectives were reached because I am able to see a changing process in my
students’ motivation. I can see a contrasted before and after in the classroom
compared the differences. I can be certain that there is a real positive influence
of gamified activities on the on increasing the students’ motivation, to induce

43
them to be more actively involved during the English classes. The important
thing is that students can stay motivated and active, to seize the moment, and
get the most from their English classes.

Conclusions
This action research has changed my perspective on how I look at the daily
problems in the classroom now. It has broadened my perspective and makes
me think that any learning situation, if look at more closely and studied, can be
understood in a way that I can try to find a solution for it. This study research
may not be a big step but it is a step in the right direction to understand class
challenges.
This section should be much longer and more detailed. But as this is the first
draft, the whole project is very well done. 10

References
Burns, A. (2005). Action research: An evolving paradigm? Language Teaching,
38(2), 57-74. Doi:10.1017/s0261444805002661
Burns, A. (2010). 2. What is action research? In Doing action research in
English language teaching a guide for Practitioners (pp. 2–2). essay,
Routledge.
Dağgöl, G. D. (2013). The reasons of lack of motivation from the students' and
teachers' voices. The Journal of Academic Social Sciences, 35-45.
doi:10.16992/ASOS.13
Gilakjani, A. P., Leong, L.-M., & Sabouri, N. B. (2012). A Study on the Role of
Motivation in Foreign Language Learning and Teaching. I. J. Modern
Education and Computer Science, 7, 9–16.
https://doi.org/10.5815/ijmecs.2012.07.02
Mangado, P. (2017). La gamificación en el aprendizaje de lenguas extranjeras
en Educación Primaria: Revisión de estudios y propuestas (Master's
thesis, Universidad de La Rioja, 2017). Logroño: Universidad de La Rioja
Servicio de Publicaciones. Retrieved April 09, 2021.

44
Mendoza, R. (2006). Investigación cualitativa y cuantitativa – Diferencias y
limitaciones. https://www.monografias.com/trabajos38/investigacion-
cualitativa/investigacion-cualitativa2.shtml
Merriam-Webster. (n.d.). Gamification. In Merriam-Webster Dictionary.
Retrieved April 9, 2021, from
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gamification
Montosa L., Á D. (2018). Gamification and Motivation in the EFL Classroom: A
Survey-Based Study on the Use of Classcraft (Master's thesis, Universitat
de les Illes Balears, 2018). Palma: UIB.
Nascimento, E. A. (2017, March). The Role of Ludic Activities in Primary
English Classrooms – do they really help children to learn? [Scholarly
project]. Retrieved from
https://run.unl.pt/bitstream/10362/21868/1/Final_Report_2.pdf
Özkan, H., & Arikan, A. (2010). To what extent does English language teacher
education curriculum prepare prospective teachers for teaching young
learners? (Master's thesis, Hacettepe University, 2010) (pp. 18-23).
Antalya-Turkey: ICONTE. Retrieved April 25, 2021, from
https://iconte.org/FileUpload/ks59689/File/5.pdf
Proaño, C. P. (2018). Ludic games and their influence on the skill to speak
English in the 9th grade students at "Juan Montalvo Fiallos" Educational
Unit, The Communal, El Carmen Manabí 2017-2018 academic period.
(thesis). ULEAM, El Carmen.
Richards, J. C., & Schmidt, R. (2010). Longman dictionary of language teaching
and applied linguistics (4th ed.). Longman.
Ryan, R. M., & Deci, E. L. (2000). Self-determination theory and the facilitation
of intrinsic motivation, social development, and well-being. American
Psychologist, 55, 68-78

45
Annexes

Lesson plan

4°B Three Lesson Plan

Title: Learning outcome: Emphasis:
The classroom Recognise the names in written form On vocabulary
The Mexican of distinct school supplies. and written
states Answer questions regarding the forms.
characteristics of classroom objects.
Recognise cardinal points
Recognise the geography of Mexico
in a map and complete sentences
about locations.
Stage Activities Time
Beginning *To guess the names of distinct 10
school supplies in the classroom, on
pictures, or drawn the whiteboard.

46
 *To guess the distinct cardinal points
where the distinct states may be
located.
Development 35
Classify words in a word bank using
colours and numbers. Then relate the
images of school supplies with the
colour they have and the quantity
there is.

To solve a crossword with the help of

images of the school supplies.

The students answer a questionnaire

about the characteristics of some
school supply items in the classroom.

The class watches a video about the

cardinal numbers.

To investigate the location of the

distinct Mexican states in an
interactive map.

Closure *To complete sentences using 10

distinct school supply items.
*To complete the sentences about
the location of the distinct Mexican
states as well as other geographic
elements.
Resources
https://es.educaplay.com/recursos-educativos/9452421-what_is_this.html
https://es.liveworksheets.com/c?
a=c&sr=n&l=lr&i=oxnddo&r=uf&db=0&f=dzduzfdf&cd=klasjmlnnjxe2ngnxgene

47
 https://wordwall.net/resource/17215305
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f2I81_BFb-s
https://mapasinteractivos.didactalia.net/comunidad/mapasflashinteractivos/
recurso/estados-de-mexico/16153c60-3c2f-8f98-3aaa-50be54951ee6
Materials
Power Point Presentation
Electronic devices
Internet
Overhead projector

Entrevista semiestructurada
El impacto de actividades divertidas en el incremento de motivación para
fomentar el aprendizaje del idioma inglés.

El siguiente cuestionario es para identificar ciertos aspectos que te podrían

motivar más a tomar parte en las actividades de inglés.
por favor selecciona la opción/es con la/s que más te identifiques en cada
punto.

Fecha: _________________________________________________________

1. ¿Qué tipo de actividad(es) te gustaría(n) realizar en clase más seguido?

a. Oír narraciones
b. Jugar memoramas
c. Resolver sopas de letras
d. Resolver crucigramas
e. Leer cuentos
f. Escribir rimas
g. Participar en juego de roles
h. Resolver actividades en línea

2. ¿Con quién te gusta hacer las actividades divertidas que más te gustan?

48
a. Solo(a)
b. Con un(a) compañero(a)
c. En un grupo pequeño
d. En un grupo grande

3. ¿Cuánto tiempo te gusta que dure una actividad divertida (lo que dura una
canción, dos canciones, etc.)?
a. 3 minutos
b. 6 minutos
c. 9 minutos
d. 12 minutos o más

4. ¿En qué momento de la clase te gustarían las actividades divertidas?

a. Al principio de la clase
b. En medio de la clase
c. Al final de la clase

5. ¿Qué entiendes por actividades divertidas de aprendizaje?

a. Actividades divertidas que estimulan mi aprendizaje
b. Actividades que me desafían a lograr un mejor desempeño, puntos, etc.
c. Actividades que me ayudan a aprender desde una perspectiva diferente.
d. Actividades que parecen juego pero que me ayudan a adquirir el idioma
inglés
e. Todas las actividades anteriores
f. Ninguna de las actividades anteriores

6. ¿En qué modalidad prefieres realizar las actividades divertidas?

a. En presencial
b. En línea
c. En presencial y en línea

49
Checklist
Activity: ________________________________________ Date: __________

The following checklist will be fill-out during any of the activities with
gamification characteristics. Distinct aspects will be taken into consideration.
1 2 3
Point Points Points
1. Student read and followed directions attentively.
2. Student stayed on-task actively without or little
help.
3. Student looked for solutions eagerly as needed.
4. Student achieved more than 80% of the points
possible.
5. Student stay focused and completed all the
activity.
6. The student looked motivated during the
developing of the activity.
7. The student looked happy at the end of the
activity.
8. The student shared with peers his experience
with the activity afterwards.

50
Cuestionario de percepciones

Actividad: ___________________________________ Fecha: ____________

El siguiente cuestionario es para identificar como te sentiste al tomar parte en

la actividad con elementos de juego (gamificación). Sed honesto y abierto al
expresar tu sentir. Por favor selecciona la opción con la que más estes de
acuerdo en cada número.

1. ¿Cómo te sentiste al jugar la actividad de esta sesión?

a. Excelente
b. Muy bien
c. Regular
d. Mal
e. Muy mal
¿Porqué? ______________________________________________________
¿Cómo te gustaría más? __________________________________________

2. ¿Te llamó la atención la actividad?

a. Si, mucho
b. Si, algo
c. Regular
d. No mucho

51
e. Nada
¿Porqué? ______________________________________________________
¿Cómo hubiera sido mejor? ________________________________________

3. ¿Relacionaste lo que reforzamos en la clase con el juego?

a. Si, mucho
b. Si, algo
c. Regular
d. No mucho
e. Nada
¿Porqué? ______________________________________________________
¿Cómo hubiera sido mejor? ________________________________________

4. ¿Te sientes con más ganas de tomar la clase de inglés?

a. Si, mucho
b. Si, algo
c. Regular
d. No mucho
e. Nada
¿Porqué? ______________________________________________________
¿Cómo hubiera sido mejor? ________________________________________

5. ¿Qué se te hizo más divertido de la actividad?

Se me hizo divertido _____________________________________________
Porque ________________________________________________________
¿Cómo hubiera sido mejor? ________________________________________

6. ¿Les gustaría cambiar algo de la actividad que hicimos? _______________

No, no cambiaría nada. ___________________________________________
Si, cambiaría… _________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
+++

52