Gamification in mathematics: the impact of Kahoot on the students’ motivation of elementary school
Article Sidebar
Main Article Content
Abstract
Introduction: the teaching of mathematics in basic general education presents difficulties related to motivation, which is why gamification becomes an emerging strategy to promote learning through digital platforms such as Kahoot. Objectives: The objective of this research was to analyze the changes in motivation towards learning mathematics, in the dimensions of attention, relevance, trust and satisfaction of the ARCS model, after the implementation of a gamified intervention with Kahoot in eighth-grade students of basic general education of a rural educational institution in southern Ecuador. Methodology: The present study was developed from a quantitative approach, through a pre-experimental design of a particular group with measurement before and after the intervention (pre-test and post-test). The study population was made up of 37 students, which are all the students enrolled in the eighth year of Higher Basic General Education of the "Teniente Maximiliano Rodríguez" Educational Unit, located in the rural parish of Pózul in the Celica canton of the province of Loja. Results: The results of the comparative analysis between the pre-test and the post-test applied to the participating students, in order to identify changes in the motivation towards learning mathematics after the implementation of the gamified strategy with Kahoot, are organized based on the dimensions of the ARCS model, increases were observed in the four dimensions evaluated (attention, relevance, trust and satisfaction) after the intervention. Conclusions: The results suggest an improvement in the perceived motivation of students in relation to the learning of mathematics in the context analyzed. The comparison between the pre-test and the post-test showed increases in the dimensions of attention, relevance, confidence, and satisfaction, which allows this tool to be considered as a pertinent didactic alternative to dynamize the learning experience of mathematics. General area of study: Education. Specific area of study: Mathematics. Type of study: Original articles.
Downloads
Article Details
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
References
Anticona Masabel, V., López Regalado, O., Berru Lopez, M. R., & Yoctun Cabrera, J. C. (2025). Application of Kahoot software in primary education student learning: a systematic review. Universidad Ciencia y Tecnología, 29(128), 36-44. https://doi.org/10.47460/uct.v29i128.982
Atahualpa Chumania, D. K., & Mejía Romero, V. E. (2024). Kahoot: Estrategia de gamificación para mejorar el proceso de aprendizaje de habilidades lógico-matemáticas en educación inicial 2 [Tesis de maestría, Universidad Bolivariana del Ecuador, Durán, Ecuador]. https://dspace.ube.edu.ec/handle/123456789/1115
Basantes Vinueza, B. del C., Carvajal Peñafiel, V. A., Travez Osorio , S. E., & Jiménez Zambrano, B. A. (2024). Gamification: training and popularity; existing challenges of its implementation within the classroom in educational institutions in the rural areas of Ecuador. Explorador Digital, 8(4), 32-45. https://doi.org/10.33262/exploradordigital.v8i4.3221
Coronel Heredia, J. V., Moscoso Bernal , S. A., & Erazo Álvarez, C. A. (2022). Kahoot como estrategia para fortalecer el proceso de enseñanza. Alfa Publicaciones, 4(4.1), 24–41. https://doi.org/10.33262/ap.v4i4.1.288. https://alfapublicaciones.com/index.php/alfapublicaciones/article/view/288
Esmeraldas Arias, C. E. (2025). Fortalecimiento de destrezas matemáticas a través de dispositivos móviles y Kahoot en educación básica superior y bachillerato. Revista InveCom, 5(1), e501076. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.12135980
Gonzalez Becerra, B. L., & Rosales Almendra, M. P. (2020). Measuring student motivation in a statistics course supported by podcast using Reduced Instructional Materials Motivation Survey (RIMMS) [2020 X International Conference on Virtual Campus (JICV), Tetouan, Morocco, 1-4]. https://doi.org/10.1109/jicv51605.2020.9375823
Guano Merino, D. F., Barragán Murillo, R. de los Ángeles, Rodríguez Arellano, N. G., & Terán Peralta, A. M. (2020). The playful platform Kahoot in English vocabulary learning. Conciencia Digital, 3(1.2), 44-62. https://doi.org/10.33262/concienciadigital.v3i1.2.1172
Jarrah, A. M., Al-Sharafi, E., & Al-Bustanji, M. (2025). The effectiveness of using Kahoot! to improve grade 10 students’ achievement in mathematics and their motivation towards learning it. Research and Practice in Technology Enhanced Learning, 20, Article 010. https://doi.org/10.58459/rptel.2025.20010
Keller, J. M. (2010). Motivational design for learning and performance: the ARCS model approach. Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-1250-3
Loorbach, N., Peters, O., Karreman, J., & Steehouder, M. (2015). Validation of the Instructional Materials Motivation Survey (IMMS) in a self‐directed instructional setting aimed at working with technology. British Journal of Educational Technology, 46(1), 204–218. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjet.12138
Mayorga Ases, L. A., Mayorga Ases, M. J., Silva Chávez, J. A., & Páliz Ibarra, S. J. (2023). Gamification and ICT in education in Ecuador. Conciencia Digital, 6(3), 6-16. https://doi.org/10.33262/concienciadigital.v6i3.2591
Navarrete Chaguay , K. M., Leoro Zambrano, Y. N., & Guerrero Zambrano, M. E. (2025). Gamificación y aprendizaje colaborativo en matemáticas: un enfoque innovador para estudiantes de educación básica . Revista Científica de Salud y Desarrollo Humano , 6(2), 143–164. https://doi.org/10.61368/r.s.d.h.v6i2.592
Pellas, N. (2024). The influence of "Kahoot!" on K-12 students' mathematics achievement and screen addiction: A study on the mediating role of academic emotion. Multimodal Technologies and Interaction, 8(9), 81. https://doi.org/10.3390/mti8090081
Poondej, C., & Lerdpornkulrat, T. (2019). Gamification in e-learning: a Moodle implementation and its effect on student motivation and engagement. International Journal of Instruction, 12(3), 421-436. https://doi.org/10.29333/iji.2019.12132a
Rahim, S., Mohammed, A., & Batool, S. H. (2025). The impact of gamification (Kahoot) on student engagement and perceived learning success in primary mathematics education. International Journal of Technology in Education, 8(1), 45-62. https://ijte.net/index.php/ijte/article/view/1560
Ruano Gordon, J. A., Angulo González , V. J., Anzules Ballesteros , J. E., & Maliza Cruz, W. I. (2025). Impact of gamification on academic performance and motivation of higher basic education students. Ciencia Digital, 9(2), 85-110. https://doi.org/10.33262/cienciadigital.v9i2.3374
Valles-Pereira, R. E., & Mota-Villegas, D. J. (2020). Kahoot aplicada en la evaluación sumativa en un curso de matemática discreta. Revista Científica, 1(37), 67-77. https://doi.org/10.14483/23448350.15236
Velasco Chuqui, N. S., Ayala Chusin, N. R., Ayala Chusin, M. Y., & Pacheco Mena, M. E. (2025). Impact of gamification as a teaching strategy in mathematics in primary education. Explorador Digital, 9(3), 26-42. https://doi.org/10.33262/exploradordigital.v9i3.3446
Wang, A. I., & Tahir, R. (2020). The effect of using Kahoot! for learning. A literature review. Computers & Education, 149, 103818. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2020.103818
Xezonaki, A. (2023). Gamification in preschool science and mathematics education: The case of Kahoot! Advances in Mobile Learning Educational Research, 3(1), 1-12. https://doi.org/10.25082/AMLER.2023.01.014
Zainuddin, Z., Chu, S. K. W., Shujahat, M., & Perera, C. J. (2020). The impact of gamification on learning and instruction: a systematic review of empirical evidence. Educational Research Review, 30, 100326. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.edurev.2020.100326
Zambrano Barreiro, Y. E., Demera Véliz, L. E., Parreño Sánchez, J. del C., & Alzate Peralta, L. A. (2025). Gamificación con Kahoot como una estrategia didáctica en el proceso de enseñanza aprendizaje de ciencias naturales. Ciencia y Educación, 6(6.1), 619 - 632. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17075162