Browsing by Author "Kantosalo, Viviana"

This article-based master’s thesis evaluates and describes the levels of engagement and motivation, along with the experience of flow, in students studying Spanish as a second language at a metropolitan school in Finland during playful game-based activities, using the well-known online game platform Kahoot. The study aims to compare motivation and engagement in two scenarios: playful game-based learning activities and traditional lessons during Spanish language classroom activities. Additionally, it investigates differences in motivation and engagement between genders and explores the correlation between motivation, engagement, and flow during playful game-based classroom activities. A total of 103 students aged 10-15, from grades 4 to 9, participated in the research, utilizing validated psychological questionnaires to assess situational engagement, motivation, and the flow experience. We consolidated the three questionnaires the Situational Motivation Scale (SIMS), the Situational Engagement Scale (SES), and the Flow Short Scale (FSS)—into one digital survey that took place immediately after the traditional lessons and playful game-based learning activities were completed. This study employed quantitative research methods, utilizing statistical analyses, to investigate engagement, motivation, and the correlation with flow during playful game-based learning activities, as well as the differences between game-based learning and traditional lessons, and gender differences. This study found that, during situational motivation, the participants demonstrated a significantly higher difference in the Intrinsic Motivation factor in playful game-based learning compared to traditional lessons. The participants also expressed a significant difference in their level of interest when asked about their engagement during game-based learning. No gender differences were observed in either situational engagement or motivation; however, boys showed slightly higher levels compared to girls. A strong correlation was found between intrinsic motivation and flow during playful game-based learning. The study highlights the potential of educational games to promote student intrinsic motivation, engagement, and flow experience, emphasizing the importance of incorporating innovative and enjoyable learning methods such as games into the school classroom. The article relating to this master’s thesis is to be considered for publishing in The Journal of Language Teaching and Research (JLTR)