The Positive Impacts of Tandem Courses: A Case Study on Teacher Motivation and Classroom Engagement

Abstract

This article explores the implementation of a tandem course that integrates gamification and interactive teaching methods and investigates how this model affects teacher motivation and participant engagement, particularly in higher education contexts. This study also highlights the potential of tandem teaching beyond its traditional use in language learning and provides qualitative and quantitative insights into the experiences of both course participants and educators, showing how collaborative, gamified teaching strategies can inspire more effective, student-centered pedagogy. It examines how the course was developed, the outcomes in terms of teachers’ engagement and the enhancement in learning experiences, and proposes a new perspective on how education can be restructured. The study emphasizes that traditional, lecture-based teaching is no longer sufficient in engaging modern learners and teachers too. By adopting more digital, student-centered approaches, we suggest that subjects can be reimagined as more interactive and teacher–student-friendly. The main question stated in the article sounds like the following: “How does gamification and interactive teaching methodologies, like tandem course, affect teacher and participant engagement and motivation?”. To address this question, a study was conducted based on the tandem course titled “Gamification in the learning process and interactive teaching methodologies” prepared within the FORTHEM Alliance by three united universities. It was delivered online during four meetings in May 2024.