Gamification for Enhancing EFL Students’ Procedure Text Writing Skills

Abstract

The research investigates the efficacy of gamification in advancing seventh-grade EFL students’ mastery of the generic structures and linguistic features required for procedure text composition, specifically catering to the interactive learning preferences of digital-native students.  Although game-based learning has demonstrated success in enhancing general student engagement, empirical evidence regarding its application to specific text types remains largely unexplored in localized contexts. This lack of targeted research limits the development of effective pedagogical strategies for procedural writing. To address this gap, the primary purpose of this study is to assess how the integration of game mechanics impacts both the procedural writing proficiency and the engagement levels of EFL students. Employing an action-oriented case study at a private school, the methodology involves integrating gamified elements, such as collaborative competition, into the curriculum, with data gathered through documents and observations. The findings reveal that gamification positively influences communication skills and linguistic competence by fostering a cooperative yet competitive environment. While students showed significant progress, the study also identified challenges, including varying engagement levels, over-gamification distracting from core objectives, and technical platform glitches, which necessitate a balanced approach to game integration. The significance of these findings lies in demonstrating that gamification can effectively bridge the gap between traditional instruction and student needs, provided there is continual teacher training and evaluation. Ultimately, this research underscores the transformative potential of gamified learning in language education while advocating for future studies with broader, more diverse sample sizes to ensure inclusive educational practices and a more universal design for procedure text instruction.