The effect of a digital game-based learning strategy on students’ self-efficacy to perform visual analytical reasoning tasks
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.63569/ajopac/07/01/01Keywords:
digital game-based learning, student-centered digital gamme-based learning, data visualization , self-efficacyAbstract
Educational institutions are incorporating digital game-based learning (DGBL) as a supplementary teaching tool to improve the self-efficacy of students in mathematics and other subject areas. There is, however, a gap in the literature that addresses how to incorporate DGBL into the curriculum to improve students’ self-efficacy to perform data tasks. The constructivist lens was utilized and adopted a quantitative pre-post design, rooted in self-efficacy and student-centered digital game-based learning theories. This paper presents the findings of a study that included n=174 respondents that investigated the effect that DGBL had on students’ self-efficacy to perform data tasks. The research findings corroborate the hypothesis that students’ self-efficacy was improved due to the use of digital game-based learning. The results revealed that using a digital game-based learning strategy impacted significantly students’ self-efficacy profiles.
References
Alfaiz, A., Hidayat, H., Yandri, H., Sari, A.T.L., Sendayu, F.S., Suarja, S. & Arjoni, A., 2021. Identification of perceived self-efficacy to predict student’s awareness in career readiness. Islamic Guidance and Counseling Journal, 4(1), 124-132. https://doi.org/10.25217/igcj.v4i1.933
Alqurashi, E. 2016. Self-efficacy in online learning environments: A literature review. Contemporary Issues in Education Research (CIER), 9(1):45-52.
Asigigan, S.İ. & Samur, Y., 2021. The Effect of Gamified STEM Practices on Students' Intrinsic Motivation, Critical Thinking Disposition Levels, and Perception of Problem-Solving Skills. International Journal of Education in Mathematics, Science and Technology, 9(2):332-352.
Aşıksoy, G. & Özdamlı, F. 2016. Flipped Classroom adapted to the ARCS Model of Motivation and applied to a Physics Course. Eurasia Journal of Mathematics, Science and Technology Education, 12(6):1589-1603. doi: 10.12973/eurasia.2016.1251a
Bandura, A., 1977. Self-efficacy: toward a unifying theory of behavioral change. Psychological Review, 84(2):191. doi: 10.1037//0033-295x.84.2.191.
Bandura, A., 1993. Perceived self-efficacy in cognitive development and functioning. Educational Psychologist, 28(2):117-148.
Bandura, A. & Adams, N.E., 1977. Analysis of self-efficacy theory of behavioral Cognitive Therapy and Research, 1(4), 287-310. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF0 1663995
Becker, K., 2021. What’s the difference between gamification, serious games, educational games, and game-based learning. Academia Letters, 209, pp.1-4.
Blanco, Q.A., Carlota, M.L., Nasibog, A.J., Rodriguez, B., Saldaña, X.V., Vasquez, E.C. & Gagani, F. 2020. Probing on the relationship between students' self-confidence and self-efficacy while engaging in online learning amidst COVID-19. Journal La Edusci, 1(4),16-25. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.teln.2021.03.001
Chen, C.C. & Tu, H.Y., 2021. The effect of digital game-based learning on learning motivation and performance under social cognitive theory and entrepreneurial thinking. Frontiers in psychology, 12:750711.
Ciampa, K. 2014. Learning in a mobile age: an investigation of student motivation. Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 30(1), 82-96. doi: 10.1111/jcal.12036
Cohen, L., Manion, L. and Morrison, K., 2017. Validity and reliability. In Research methods in education (pp. 245-284). Routledge: London
Cohen, L., Manion L., & Morrison, K. 2007. Research methods in education. (6th ed.). London: Routledge.
Cohen, L & Manion, L. 1997. Research in education. (4th ed.). New York: Routledge.
Coleman, Thomas & Money, Arthur. (2020). Student-centred digital game–based learning: a conceptual framework and survey of the state of the art. 10.1007/s10734-019-00417-0.
Connolly, T.M., Boyle, E.A., MacArthur, E., Hainey, T., & Boyle, J.M. 2012. A systematic literature review of empirical evidence on computer games and serious games. Computers & Education, 59(2), 661–686. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2012.03.004connolly
Creswell, J.W. 2014. Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications
Creswell, J.W. & Miller, D.L. 2000. Determining validity in qualitative inquiry. Theory into Practice, 39(3), 124-130). https://doi.org/10.1207/s15430421 tip 39032
Cronbach, L.J. 1951. Coefficient alpha and the internal structure of tests. Psychometrika, 16(3), 297-334.
Crotty, M.J., 1998. The foundations of social research: Meaning and perspective in the research process. London: Routledge.
Earling A. 1996. The tetris effect: do computer games fry your brain? Philadelphia Citypaper. Available at: http://archives.citypaper.net/articles/ 032196/ ,article038.shtml
Erhel, S. & Jamet, E. 2013. Digital game-based learning: Impact of instructions and feedback motivation and learning effectiveness. Computers & Education, 67, 156-167. doi:10.1016/j.compedu.2013.02.019
Fishbach, A. & Woolley, K., 2022. The structure of intrinsic motivation. Annual Review of Organizational Psychology and Organizational Behavior, 9:339-363.
Gopalan, V., Bakar, J.A.A., Zulkifli, A.N., Alwi, A. & Mat, R.C. 2017, October. A review of the motivation theories in learning. In Aip conference proceedings (Vol. 1891 (1):020043). AIP Publishing LLC.
Hamann, K., Pilotti, M.A. & Wilson, B.M., 2021. What lies beneath: The role of self- efficacy, causal attribution habits, and gender in accounting for the success of college students. Education Sciences, 11(7):333.
Hense, J. & Mandl, H. 2014. Learning in or with games? In In Sampson, D.G., Spector, J.M., Ifenthaler, D., Isaias, P. (Eds.) Digital systems for open access to formal and informal learning (pp. 181-193). Proceedings of the IADIS International Conference on Cognition and Exploratory Learning in the Digital Age (pp.19-26) Madrid (Spain): IADIS.
Institute of Data, 2021. Data science job opportunities continue to grow in 2022. Accessed at: https://www.institutedata.com/blog/data-science-job-opportunities-in-2022/#:~:text=By%202026%2C%20the%20US%20Bureau % 20of%20Labor%20Statistics,not%20come%20as%20too%20much%20of%20a %20surprise.
Keller, J. M. 1987. Development and use of the ARCS model of instructional design. Journal of Instructional Development, 10(3), 2. https://doi.org/10.1007/ BF02905780
Kim, J.T. & Lee, W.H. 2015. Dynamical model for gamification of learning (DMGL). Multimedia Tools and Applications, 74:8483-8493.
Kivunja, C. & Kuyini, A.B. 2017. Understanding and applying research paradigms in educational contexts. International Journal of Higher Education, 6(5), 26-41. doi:10.5430/ijhe.v6n5p26
Koubek, R.J., Benysh, D., Buck, M., Harvey, C.M. & Reynolds, M. 2003. The development of a theoretical framework and design tool for process usability assessment. Ergonomics, 46(1-3):220-241.
Lepper, M. R. & Malone, T.W. 1987. Intrinsic motivation and instructional effective- ness in computer-based education. In R. E. Snow, & M. J. Farr (Eds.), Aptitude, Learning and Instruction (Vol. 3:255-285). Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.
Malik, S. 2014. Effectiveness of ARCS model of motivational design to overcome non-completion rate of students in distance education. Turkish Online Journal of Distance Education, 15(2):194-200. DOI: 10.17718/tojde.18099
Manzano-León, A., Camacho-Lazarraga, P., Guerrero, M.A., Guerrero-Puerta, L., Aguilar-Parra, J.M., Trigueros, R. and Alias, A., 2021. Between level up and game over: A systematic literature review of gamification in education. Sustainability, 13(4):2247.
Miller, S. & Hughes, D. 2017. The quant crunch: How the demand for data science skills is disrupting the job market. Business Higher Education Forum. https://www.bhef.com/publications/quant-crunch- how-demand-data-science- skills-disrupting-job-market
Murphy, L., Eduljee, N.B. and Croteau, K., 2021. Teacher-centered versus student- centered teaching: Preferences and differences across academic majors. Journal of Effective teaching in Higher education, 4(1):18-39.
Panhwar, A.H., Ansari, S. and Shah, A.A., 2017. Post-positivism: An effective paradigm for social and educational research. International Research Journal of Arts and Humanities, 45(45):.253-259.
Pappas, C., 2015. Instructional design models and theories: Keller’s ARCS model of motivation. Pridobljeno, 18(9):2017. https://elearningindustry.com/arcs-model- ofmotivation
Pintrich, P.R., Smith, D.A., Garcia, T. & McKeachie, W.J. 1993. Reliability and predictive validity of the Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire (MSLQ). Educational and Psychological Measurement, 53(3), 801-813.
Punyasettro, S. & Yasri, P., 2021. A Game-Based Learning Activity to Promote Conceptual Understanding of Chordates' Phylogeny and Self-Efficacy to Learn Evolutionary Biology. European Journal of Educational Research, 10(4):1937-1951.
Ryan, R.M., Rigby, & Przybylski, A., 2006. The motivational pull of video games: A self-determination theory approach. Motivation and Emotion, 30, pp.344-360.
Saeid, N. & Eslaminejad, T. 2017. Relationship between student's self-directed-learning readiness and academic self-efficacy and achievement motivation in students. International Education Studies, 10(1), 225-232. http://dx.doi.org /10.5539/ies.v10n1p225
Sajid, S., Haleem, A., Bahl, S., Javaid, M., Goyal, T. & Mittal, M., 2021. Data science applications for predictive maintenance and materials science in context to Industry 4.0. Materials Today. Proceedings, 45, 4898-4905. DOI:10.1016/J.MATPR.2021.01.357
Salen, K., Tekinbaş, K.S., & Zimmerman, E. 2004. Rules of play: Game design
fundamentals. Cambridge, Maaa.: MIT press.
Schunk, D.H. & DiBenedetto, M.K., 2021. Self-efficacy and human motivation. In Advances in motivation science (Vol. 8:153-179). Elsevier.
Sökmen, Y., 2021. The role of self-efficacy in the relationship between the learning environment and student engagement. Educational Studies, 47(1):19-37.
Stewart, M., 2021. Understanding learning: Theories and critique. In University teaching in focus (pp. 3-28). Routledge.
Stickgold R., Malia A., Maguire D., Roddenbury D. & O’Connor M. 2000. Replaying the game: hypnagogic images in normals and amnesics. Science 290, 350–353 10.1126/science.290.5490.350
Thomas E.C. 2021. Student centred digital game-based learning. Doctoral dissertation: Brunel University London.
Toharudin, U., Rahmat, A. and Kurniawan, I.S. 2019, February. The important of self-efficacy and self-regulation in learning: How should a student be? Journal of Physics: Conference Series, 1157(2), 022074. DOI:10.1088/1742-6596/1157/ 2/022074
Tusianah, R., Sutarsyah, C., Sukirlan, M., Ridwan, R., Nurmalisa, Y., Isnainy, U.C., Maydiantoro, A., Zainaro, M.R. & Puja Kesuma, T.A.R., 2021. An Integrative Review of Self-efficacy: What Factors Enhance and Impair It?. WSEAS Transactions on Business and Economics, 18:1057-1072.
Unwin, A., 2020. Why is data visualization important? what is important in data visualization?. Harvard Data Science Review, 2(1):1.
Van Wyk, M.M. 2013. The use of economic games as a participative teaching strategy to enhance student learning. Journal of Social Sciences, 35(20), 125-133. DOI: 10.1080/09718923.2013.11893153
Wright, G.B. 2011. Student-centered learning in higher education. International Journal of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education, 23(1), 92-97. http://www.isetl.org/ijtlhe/
Wouters, P. & Van Der Meulen, E.S. 2020. The role of learning styles in game- based learning. International Journal of Game-Based Learning (IJGBL), 10(1):54-69.
Xu, M., David, J.M. & Kim, S.H. 2018. The fourth industrial revolution: Opportunities and challenges. International Journal of Financial Research, 9(2):90-95. https://doi.org/10.5430/ijfr.v9n2p90
Zheng, P. & Leung, L. 2016. Linking psychological attributes, gratifications and social networking site use to social capital of the net generation in China. International Journal of Cyber Behavior, Psychology and Learning, 6(3), 17-
33. doi:10.4018/ijcbpl.2016070102
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Dr. Junell L. McCall, Dr. Raphael D. Isokpehi, Prof. Micheal M Van Wyk (Author)

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license (CC BY 4.0)