Multifactor Network Analysis: Exploring the Cross-Educational Impacts on the Effectiveness of Gamification in English Teaching

Abstract

In the landscape of modern English education, gamification stands as one of the central transformative mediums. Despite existing findings, there is still a scarcity of research on gamified English teaching regarding the impacts of school support and personal factors. Current studies predominantly assessed the effectiveness of gamification through total scores, limiting insights into how teachers' perceptions at different levels of education are influenced. The objective was to examine how teacher-related factors and school support cross-educationally impact English teachers’ satisfaction and their perceptions of gamification. A nationwide sample of 615 English teachers was used to conduct a series of network analyses to examine the effect strength of individual factors on the total score and item-level network relations. The estimated networks were then compared to discern any differences in effect strength across different educational levels. The analyses found no relation between gamification language learning outcomes and grade point averages, even after accounting for other factors. The results revealed moderate differences between levels of education concerning how frequency of use influences the teachers’ perceptions of gamification and significant differences when controlling for teachers’ age and teaching practice. However, no significant impact of school support was observed in both lower secondary and secondary education.