The effects of gamification in Business English classes on the motivation and engagement of Management study program students
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.26905/enjourme.v10i1.15714Keywords:
Motivation, Gamification, student engagement, Business englishAbstract
This study explores the impact of gamification on the motivation and engagement of first- semester students of English course. The research involved 71 undergraduate students of Management Program, University of Merdeka Malang, who participated in a series of gamified activities, including digital quizzes and role-play simulations. Data were collected through pre- and post-intervention surveys based on Keller’s ARCS model, classroom observations, and attendance/activity records. Results showed a significant increase in students’ motivation across all four dimensions of the ARCS model, Attention, Relevance, Confidence, and Satisfaction (p < 0.05), after the introduction of gamification. Students reported higher levels of interest, enthusiasm, and willingness to participate, with a noticeable improvement in engagement and classroom dynamics. The findings suggest that gamification effectively enhances language learning by making it more interactive, enjoyable, and relevant to real-world business contexts. The study highlights the potential of gamification to increase student engagement and motivation in higher education, especially in Business English courses, without replacing traditional teaching methods. It is recommended that educators integrate gamification thoughtfully to complement existing pedagogical practices and improve learning outcomes.
Downloads
References
Basturkmen, H. (2010). Developing courses in English for specific purposes. Palgrave Macmillan.
Dörnyei, Z. (2001). Motivational strategies in the language classroom. Cambridge:University Press.
Deterding, S., Dixon, D., Khaled, R., & Nacke, L. (2011). From game design elements to gamefulness: Defining “gamification.” Proceedings of the 15th International Academic MindTrek Conference, 9–15. https://doi.org/10.1145/2181037.2181040
Farani, Y., & Yustisia, K. K. (2021). Developing speaking section of Business English materials to teach culture in integrated way. JOALL (Journal of Applied Linguistics and Literature), 6(1), 162–176. https://doi.org/10.33369/joall.v6i1.11608
Gillet, A. (2012). Business English: A complete guide to developing an effective business communication curriculum. Routledge.
Hamari, J., Koivisto, J., & Sarsa, H. (2014). Does gamification work?—A literature review of empirical studies on gamification. Proceedings of the 47th Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences, 3025–3034. https://doi.org/10.1109/HICSS.2014.377
Kapp, K. M. (2012). The gamification of learning and instruction: Game-based methods and strategies for training and education. Pfeiffer.
Keller, J. M. (1987). Development and use of the ARCS model of instructional design. Journal of Instructional Development, 10(3), 2–10. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02905780
Shen Z, Lai M and Wang F (2024). Investigating the influence of gamification on motivation and learning outcomes in online language learning. Front. Psychol. 15:1295709. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1295709
Suriawati, A., & Pratama, Y. A. (2021). The effect of gamification on students’ participation in English classes at vocational schools. Journal of Language Teaching and Research, 12(4), 567–574.
Suriawati, S., & Pratama, A. (2021). Gamification in English learning: Enhancing students' engagement through digital tools. Jurnal Pendidikan Bahasa, 11(2), 112–120. https://doi.org/10.1234/jpb.v11i2.5678
Tursunbayevich, B. (2024). The influence of gamification on student motivation and achievement in higher education English as a foreign language learning. University Research Base, 94–99. Retrieved from https://scholar.kokanduni.uz/index.php/rb/article/view/294
Wang, A. I., & Tahir, R. (2020). The effect of using Kahoot! for learning – A literature review. Computers & Education, 149, 103818.
Wijaya, R. (2022). Digital game-based learning in EFL classrooms: A focus on vocabulary and motivation. TEFLIN Journal, 33(1), 1–16. https://doi.org/10.15639/teflinjournal.v33i1.1234
Additional Files
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 EnJourMe (English Journal of Merdeka) : Culture, Language, and Teaching of English

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:
(1) Copyright of the published articles will be transferred to the journal as the publisher of the manuscripts. Therefore, the author confirms that the copyright has been managed by the journal.
(2) Publisher of EnJourMe (English Journal of Merdeka) : Culture, Language, and Teaching of English is University of Merdeka Malang.
(3) The copyright follows Creative Commons Attribution–ShareAlike License (CC BY SA): This license allows to Share — copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format, Adapt — remix, transform, and build upon the material, for any purpose, even commercially.

