TEACHING ENGLISH THROUGH GAMIFICATION: A PEDAGOGICAL EXPERIMENT AND EXPECTED CHANGES IN STUDENTS’ ACADEMIC MOTIVATION

Abstract

The article examines the potential of gamification as a means of organizing pedagogical feedback in English language instruction at the lower secondary school level. The relevance of the study is determined by the decline in the stability of academic motivation during early adolescence and the limited effectiveness of traditional methods of stimulating learning activity. The purpose of the study is to describe the organization of a pedagogical experiment introducing gamified support into English lessons and to determine the expected changes in students’ academic motivation. The research follows a quasi-experimental design with nonequivalent groups. Questionnaire survey and systematic pedagogical observation were used, based on the principle of methodological triangulation. In the experimental group, gamification elements were integrated into regular lessons without changes to the curriculum content or learning outcome requirements. It is expected that systematic recording of participation, effort, and individual progress will increase learning activity, reduce avoidance of responses, and strengthen cognitive motives. The practical significance of the study lies in the possibility of implementing the proposed model in ordinary school settings without modifying the educational program.