FEATURES AND THE ROLE OF GAMIFICATION IN TEACHING COMPUTER SCIENCE AT SCHOOL

Abstract

The article analyzes a number of published scientific studies on the use of gamification in education in order to assess its impact on students’ interest in computer science within the school learning environment. The findings indicate that gamification-based learning contributes to increasing students’ interest in computer science and fostering a more positive attitude toward the learning process. In addition, computer science teachers involved in the implementation of the lessons positively assessed the use of gamification technologies in education. According to their observations, providing students with opportunities to engage with game-based elements and use computer games as educational tools increases learning activity and motivation and facilitates more effective acquisition of the required learning material. The aim of the study is to examine the impact of gamification on students’ interest in computer science, their learning engagement, and educational outcomes, as well as to experimentally evaluate the effectiveness of incorporating game-based elements into school computer science education. The current development of educational technologies and teaching methodologies, driven by the requirements of the digital transformation of education, necessitates the introduction of new approaches, opportunities, and instructional technologies aimed at improving the effectiveness of the educational process. A pedagogical experiment was conducted in three schools in Kazakhstan with the participation of 120 students aged 11–13 years. The participants were divided into control and experimental groups. Over a three-month period, students in the experimental group participated in lessons incorporating gamification elements. The results demonstrated positive changes in the experimental group. Specifically, 92% of students in the experimental group considered computer science an interesting subject, compared with 61% in the control group. The proportion of students who achieved a high level of knowledge was 42% in the experimental group, compared with 28% in the control group. Furthermore, a high level of engagement in the learning process was observed among 50% of students in the experimental group, whereas the corresponding figure in the control group was 25%. Thus, the findings indicate the potential effectiveness of gamification as an educational tool for increasing students’ interest, learning engagement, and educational outcomes in school computer science education.