Visions on gamification as an inclusive methodological strategy in primary education

Abstract

The appearance in recent decades of more active and cooperative teaching and learning methodologies has largely been in response to some of the needs of today’s students, who are much more diverse and digitally literate. This research focuses on gamification, which is one such methodology, and it analyses the perceptions of students, teachers and families of how this practice can favor the creation of more inclusive and collaborative educational environments. An ethnographic study was carried out at a school in the Spanish autonomous community of Valencia. The school was selected for its special instrumental characteristics. The data collection techniques included documentary analysis, observations in eighteen primary school classrooms, individual and group interviews, and two focus groups with the main educational agents. From the analysis of the data and documentation, it can be deduced that the community has committed itself to educational inclusion. The teaching staff is in favor of the use of gamification as an inclusive methodological strategy, although they acknowledge a lack of training This suggests that it is too early to clearly identify the contribution of gamification to the teaching and learning process, but the majority perception is that gamification promotes more participatory, motivating and inclusive learning environments.