Systematic literature review: gamification in teacher professional training (2019–2025)

Abstract

Introduction – Gamification has emerged as a prominent strategy for enhancing teacher professional development. Despite growing interest, no systematic review has specifically examined gamification applications in teacher professional training contexts. Methods – This systematic review followed PRISMA 2020 guidelines to examine gamification integration in teacher professional training. A comprehensive search across four databases (Scopus, Web of Science, PubMed, and Google Scholar) identified 1, 776 records, of which 27 empirical studies from 12 countries (2019–2025) met the inclusion criteria. Results – Achievement-oriented gamification elements dominated implementations: points systems (88.9%), badges and levels (48.1% each), and leaderboards (40.7%). Implementation platforms included multi-tool platforms (40.7%), quiz-based systems (37%), and blended approaches (28%). Methodological diversity emerged through experimental designs (29.6%), qualitative investigations (22.2%), and mixed methods (18.5%). All included studies reported positive outcomes across motivation, engagement, and digital competence domains. However, geographic concentration in Europe (74.1%), particularly Spain (51.9%), restricts generalizability. Discussion – While findings support gamification as a viable strategy for teacher professional development, results should be interpreted cautiously given the likelihood of publication bias and predominant reliance on self-report measures. Critical gaps include the absence of longitudinal studies and limited theoretical integration. Future research should prioritize cross-cultural implementations and longitudinal designs to establish globally applicable strategies.