Journals / Kuramsal Eğitimbilim Dergisi / 2026 / Cilt: 19 Sayı: 4

The Impact of Gamification on Achievement, Flow Experience, and Emotional State

Oyunlaştırmanın Başarı, Akış Deneyimi ve Duygusal Durum Üzerindeki Etkisi

Sebahat Sevgi Uygur(DOKUZ EYLÜL ÜNİVERSİTESİ)0000-0001-8848-8968
Pages
879–905
Publication Date
2026-10-29
🏛️Bibliographic metadata and full text access for this article are provided via DergiPark.
DergiPark Record ↗
✨

AI Summary & Key Takeaways

AI Insight
⚡ TL;DR(Too Long; Didn't Read)

Qualitative findings revealed that students actively engaged in both environments, reported higher motivation, and found learning more enjoyable.

📌 3 Key Takeaways

🎯
Objective & Hypothesis:The research aimed to examine the effects of gamification environments on university students' achievement, flow experiences, and emotional states.
📊
Key Findings & Data:The study group consisted of 80 students (Quizizz, n = 32; Quizlet, n = 48) enrolled in the Educational Psychology course at a state university.
💡
Conclusion & Impact:Qualitative findings revealed that students actively engaged in both environments, reported higher motivation, and found learning more enjoyable.
🔬Design:Araştırma Makalesi
📍Scope:Comprehensive Sample
⚙️Variables:Akış deneyimi · başarı · duygusal durum

Abstract

The research aimed to examine the effects of gamification environments on university students' achievement, flow experiences, and emotional states. This study utilized a mixed-methods design, incorporating a quasi-experimental approach for the quantitative phase and a phenomenological approach for the qualitative phase. The study group consisted of 80 students (Quizizz, n = 32; Quizlet, n = 48) enrolled in the Educational Psychology course at a state university. Data were collected through the Achievement Test, Flow Experience Scale, and Positive and Negative Affect Scale. Both groups showed significant pre-test to post-test gains in achievement, with no significant difference between the two groups. Flow experience was positively correlated with positive emotion in both groups, but with achievement only in the Quizlet group. In the Quizizz group, achievement was moderately and negatively correlated with negative emotion, whereas no such relationship was found in the Quizlet group. No significant relationship was found between achievement and positive emotion in either group. Qualitative findings revealed that students actively engaged in both environments, reported higher motivation, and found learning more enjoyable. However, they experienced the platforms differently. Quizizz users emphasized excitement through competition and scoring, whereas Quizlet users highlighted confidence gained from repetition and individual progress. Overall, these results indicate that gamification tools led to similar achievement gains, but through different flow and emotional processes.

Özet

Araştırma, oyunlaştırma ortamlarının üniversite öğrencilerinin başarıları, akış deneyimleri ve duygusal durumları üzerindeki etkilerini incelemeyi amaçlamıştır. Çalışmada, nicel aşama için yarı deneysel desenin, nitel aşama için ise fenomenolojik yaklaşımın kullanıldığı karma yöntem deseni benimsenmiştir. Çalışma grubunu, bir devlet üniversitesinde Eğitim Psikolojisi dersini alan 80 öğrenci (Quizizz, n = 32; Quizlet, n = 48) oluşturmuştur. Veriler, Başarı Testi, Akış Deneyimi Ölçeği ve Pozitif-Negatif Duygu Ölçeği aracılığıyla toplanmıştır. Her iki grupta da ön testten son teste anlamlı bir başarı artışı gözlenmiş, ancak gruplar arasında anlamlı bir fark saptanmamıştır. Akış deneyimi, her iki grupta da pozitif duyguyla pozitif yönde ilişkiliyken, başarıyla anlamlı ilişkisi yalnızca Quizlet grubunda bulunmuştur. Quizizz grubunda başarı, negatif duyguyla orta düzeyde ve negatif yönde ilişkili bulunurken, Quizlet grubunda ise bu ilişki saptanmamıştır. Başarı ile pozitif duygu arasında her iki grupta da anlamlı bir ilişki bulunmamıştır. Nitel bulgular, öğrencilerin her iki ortamda da derse etkin biçimde katıldıklarını, daha yüksek motivasyon bildirdiklerini ve öğrenme sürecini daha keyifli bulduklarını ortaya koymuştur. Ancak öğrenciler platformları farklı biçimlerde deneyimlemişlerdir. Quizizz kullanan öğrenciler, rekabet ve puanlama yoluyla heyecan yaşadıklarını vurgularken, Quizlet kullanan öğrenciler ise tekrar ve bireysel ilerlemeden kaynaklanan özgüvenlerini ön plana çıkarmışlardır. Genel olarak bu sonuçlar, oyunlaştırma araçlarının benzer başarı kazanımları sağladığını, ancak bunu farklı akış ve duygusal süreçler aracılığıyla gerçekleştirdiğini göstermektedir.

🔖

Cite This Article

Uygur, S. S., Erdoğmuş, Y. K. (2026). The Impact of Gamification on Achievement, Flow Experience, and Emotional State. Kuramsal Eğitimbilim Dergisi, Cilt: 19 Sayı: 4, 879–905. https://doi.org/10.30831/akukeg.1861499

📄 Full Text PDF Viewer

📄

PDF görüntüleyici hazırlanıyor...

References (57)

  1. Alsadoon, H. (2023). The impact of gamification on student motivation and engagement: An empirical study. Dirasat: Educational Sciences, 50(2), 386-396. https://doi.org/10.35516/edu.v50i2.255
  2. An, Y. (2023). The impact of gamification on doctoral students’ perceptions, emotions, and learning in an online environment. TechTrends, 67(4), 706-717. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11528-022-00833-7
  3. Camacho-Morles, J., Slemp, G. R., Pekrun, R., Loderer, K., Hou, H., & Oades, L. G. (2021). Activity achievement emotions and academic performance: A meta-analysis. Educational Psychology Review, 33(3), 1051-1095. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-020-09585-3
  4. Chang, C. C., Liang, C., Chou, P. N., & Lin, G. Y. (2017). Is game-based learning better in flow experience and various types of cognitive load than non-game-based learning? Perspective from multimedia and media richness. Computers in Human Behavior, 71, 218-227. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2017.01.031
  5. Creswell, J. W., & Creswell, J. D. (2017). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches. Sage Publications.
  6. Csikszentmihalyi, M. (1990). Flow: The psychology of optimal experience. Harper & Row.
  7. Deterding, S., Dixon, D., Khaled, R., & Nacke, L. (2011, September). From game design elements to gamefulness: defining "gamification". In Proceedings of the 15th International Academic MindTrek Conference: Envisioning Future Media Environments (MindTrek '11). Association for Computing Machinery, New York, NY, USA, 9-15. https://doi.org/10.1145/2181037.2181040
  8. D’Mello, S., & Graesser, A. (2012). Dynamics of affective states during complex learning. Learning and Instruction, 22(2), 145-157. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.learninstruc.2011.10.001
  9. Domínguez, A., Saenz-de-Navarrete, J., De-Marcos, L., Fernández-Sanz, L., Pagés, C., & Martínez-Herráiz, J. J. (2013). Gamifying learning experiences: Practical implications and outcomes. Computers & Education, 63, 380-392. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2012.12.020
  10. Efklides, A., & Volet, S. (2005). Emotional experiences during learning: Multiple, situated and dynamic. Learning and Instruction, 15(5), 377–380. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.learninstruc.2005.07.006
  11. Field, A. (2018). Discovering statistics using IBM SPSS statistics (5th ed.). SAGE Publications.
  12. Fredrickson, B. L. (2001). The role of positive emotions in positive psychology: The broaden-and-build theory of positive emotions. American Psychologist, 56(3), 218-226. https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.56.3.218
  13. Gençöz, T. (2000). Pozitif ve negatif duygu ölçeği: Geçerlik ve güvenirlik çalışması. Türk Psikoloji Dergisi, 15(46), 19-26.
  14. Gil, B., Cantador, I., & Marczewski, A. (2015). Validating gamification mechanics and player types in an e-learning environment. In: Conole, G., Klobučar, T., Rensing, C., Konert, J., Lavoué, E. (Eds.), Design for teaching and learning in a networked world. EC-TEL 2015. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, 9307. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-24258-3_61
  15. Gómez Rios, M. D., Castro Arias, S., & Loyola Illesca, E. (2025). Reinventing education: An experience of emotional measurement with artificial intelligence and playful strategies in the classroom. Neutrosophic Computing & Machine Learning, 40, 435-445. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17220701
  16. Han, L., Cao, Q., Xie, T., Chen, X., Liu, Y., & Bai, J. (2021). Exploring the experience of nursing undergraduates in using gamification teaching mode based on the flow theory in nursing research: A qualitative study. Nurse Education Today, 107, 105158. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nedt.2021.105158
  17. Houssemand, C., Rosato, V., Thill, S., & Pignault, A. (2021). Normalization as a mediator of emotion during unemployment. Anxiety, Stress, & Coping, 34(6), 672-689. https://doi.org/10.1080/10615806.2021.1908540
  18. Hunicke, R., LeBlanc, M., & Zubek, R. (2004). MDA: A formal approach to game design and game research. AAAI Workshop – Technical Report 1. Washington, DC: Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence (AAAI). https://aaai.org/papers/ws04-04-001-mda-a-formal-approach-to-game-design-and-game-research/
  19. Jaramillo-Mediavilla, L., Basantes-Andrade, A., Cabezas-González, M., & Casillas-Martín, S. (2024). Impact of gamification on motivation and academic performance: A systematic review. Education Sciences, 14(6), 639. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci14060639
  20. Jun, M., & Lucas, T. (2024). Gamification elements and their impacts on education: A review. Multidisciplinary Reviews, 8(5), 2025155. https://doi.org/10.31893/multirev.2025155
  21. Kahyaoğlu Erdoğmuş, Y., & Kurt, A. A. (2024). Digital game-based learning: Pedagogical agent and feedback types on achievement, flow experience, and cognitive load. Education and Information Technologies, 29(10), 12943-12968. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-023-12368-2
  22. Lampropoulos, G., & Sidiropoulos, A. (2024). Impact of gamification on students’ learning outcomes and academic performance: A longitudinal study comparing online, traditional, and gamified learning. Education Sciences, 14(4), 367. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci14040367
  23. Leong, W. Y. (2025, March). Beyond the screen: Enhancing student engagement in virtual classrooms using gamification. In 2025 14th International Conference on Educational and Information Technology (ICEIT) (pp. 188-193). IEEE. https://doi.org/10.1109/ICEIT64364.2025.10976109
  24. Li, M., Ma, S., & Shi, Y. (2023). Examining the effectiveness of gamification as a tool promoting teaching and learning in educational settings: A meta-analysis. Frontiers in Psychology, 14, 1253549. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1253549
  25. Li, X., Xia, Q., Chu, S. K. W., & Yang, Y. (2022). Using gamification to facilitate students’ self-regulation in e-learning: A case study on students’ L2 English learning. Sustainability, 14(12), 7008. https://doi.org/10.3390/su14127008
  26. Liu, C., Fang, M., Wang, M., Wu, Y., Chen, W., & Cheng, Y. (2024). The effects of peer competition-induced anxiety on massive open online course learning: The mediating role of the behavioral inhibition system. Behavioral Sciences, 14(4), 324. https://doi.org/10.3390/bs14040324
  27. Lüking, S., Wünsche, S., & Wilde, M. (2023). The effect of basic psychological needs on the flow experience in a digital gamified learning setting. Frontiers in Psychology, 14, 1256350. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1256350
  28. Manzano-León, A., Camacho-Lazarraga, P., Guerrero, M. A., Guerrero-Puerta, L., Aguilar-Parra, J. M., Trigueros, R., & Alias, A. (2021). Between level up and game over: A systematic literature review of gamification in education. Sustainability, 13(4), 2247. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13042247
  29. Mega, C., Ronconi, L., & De Beni, R. (2014). What makes a good student? How emotions, self-regulated learning, and motivation contribute to academic achievement. Journal of Educational Psychology, 106(1), 121-131. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0033546
  30. Mekler, E. D., Brühlmann, F., Tuch, A. N., & Opwis, K. (2017). Towards understanding the effects of individual gamification elements on intrinsic motivation and performance. Computers in Human Behavior, 71, 525-534. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2015.08.048
  31. Meşe, C., & Dursun, Ö. (2018). Influence of gamification elements on emotion, interest and online participation. Education and Science, 43(196), 67-95. https://doi.org/10.15390/EB.2018.7726
  32. Miles, M. B., & Huberman, A. M. (1994). Qualitative data analysis: An expanded sourcebook (2nd ed.). Sage Publications.
  33. Mullins, J. K., & Sabherwal, R. (2018). Beyond enjoyment: a cognitive-emotional perspective of gamification. Proceedings of the 51st Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences, 1237-1246. https://doi.org/10.24251/HICSS.2018.152
  34. Mullins, J. K., & Sabherwal, R. (2020). Gamification: A cognitive-emotional view. Journal of Business Research, 106, 304-314. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2018.09.023
  35. Oliveira, W., Dantas Scaico, P., Hamari, J., Li, Z., & Shi, L. (2025). The effects of gamification on students' flow experience. Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 41(5), e70120. https://doi.org/10.1111/jcal.70120
  36. Oliveira, W., Hamari, J., Joaquim, S., Toda, A. M., Palomino, P. T., Vassileva, J., & Isotani, S. (2022). The effects of personalized gamification on students’ flow experience, motivation, and enjoyment. Smart Learning Environments, 9(1), 16. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40561-022-00194-x
  37. Oliveira, W., Pastushenko, O., Rodrigues, L., Toda, A. M., Palomino, P. T., Hamari, J., & Isotani, S. (2021). Does gamification affect flow experience? A systematic literature review. arXiv preprint https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2106.09942
  38. Özhan, Ş. Ç., & Kocadere, S. A. (2020). The effects of flow, emotional engagement, and motivation on success in a gamified online learning environment. Journal of Educational Computing Research, 57(8), 2006-2031. https://doi.org/10.1177/0735633118823159
  39. Pedroso, T., Cardoso, E., Rações, F., Baptista, A., & Barateiro, J. (2019). Learning scorecard gamification: Application of the MDA framework. In I. Ramos, R. Quaresma, P. Silva, & T. Oliveira (Eds.), Information systems for Industry 4.0 (Vol. 31, pp. 29- 46). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-14850-8_3
  40. Pekrun, R. (2006). The control-value theory of achievement emotions: Assumptions, corollaries, and implications for educational research and practice. Educational psychology review, 18(4), 315-341. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-006-9029-9
  41. Pekrun, R. (2024). Control-value theory: From achievement emotion to a general theory of human emotions. Educational Psychology Review, 36, 83. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-024-09909-7
  42. Ritzhaupt, A. D., Huang, R., Sommer, M., Zhu, J., Stephen, A., Valle, N., Hampton, J., & Li, J. (2021). A meta-analysis on the influence of gamification in formal educational settings on affective and behavioral outcomes. Educational Technology Research and Development, 69(5), 2493-2522. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11423-021-10036-1
  43. Rogatko, T. P. (2009). The influence of flow on positive affect in college students. Journal of Happiness Studies, 10(2), 133-148. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10902-007-9069-y
  44. Sailer, M., Hense, J. U., Mayr, S. K., & Mandl, H. (2017). How gamification motivates: An experimental study of the effects of specific game design elements on psychological need satisfaction. Computers in Human Behavior, 69, 371-380. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2016.12.033
  45. Sailer, M., & Homner, L. (2020). The gamification of learning: A meta-analysis. Educational Psychology Review, 32(1), 77-112. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-019-09498-w
  46. Setiawan, M. R., & Wiedarti, P. (2020). The effectiveness of Quizlet application towards students’ motivation in learning vocabulary. Studies in English Language and Education, 7(1), 83-95. https://doi.org/10.24815/siele.v7i1.15359
  47. Tan, J., Mao, J., Jiang, Y., & Gao, M. (2021). The influence of academic emotions on learning effects: A systematic review. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(18), 9678. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18189678
  48. Toda, A. M., Palomino, P. T., Oliveira, W., Rodrigues, L., Klock, A. C., Gasparini, I., Cristea, A. I., & Isotani, S. (2019). How to gamify learning systems? An experience report using the design sprint method and a taxonomy for gamification elements in education. Journal of Educational Technology & Society, 22(3), 47-60. https://www.jstor.org/stable/26896709
  49. Vrcelj Božić, A., Hoić-Božić, N., Holenko Dlab, M., Stančin, K., & Jagušt, T. (2025). Gamification classification as a framework for analysing gamification elements in digital educational tools. Journal of Communications Software and Systems, 21(1), 34-42. https://doi.org/10.24138/jcomss-2024-0111
  50. 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
  51. Watson, D., Clark, L. A., & Tellegen, A. (1988). Development and validation of brief measures of positive and negative affect: The PANAS scales. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 54(6), 1063-1070. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.54.6.1063
  52. Xiao, Y., & Hew, K. F. (2024). Personalised gamification enhances student participation but produces mixed effects on emotional and cognitive engagements: a systematic review. Interactive Learning Environments, 32(10), 7014-7040. https://doi.org/10.1080/10494820.2023.2299977
  53. Yang, J., Wan, Q., Li, Q., & Chen, J. (2025). Achievement emotion profiles and their associations with learning motivation, engagement, and academic achievement among Chinese college students. European Journal of Psychology of Education, 40(4), 125. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10212-025-01029-2
  54. Yıldırım, A., & Şimşek, H. (2021). Sosyal bilimlerde nitel araştırma yöntemleri (12. baskı). Seçkin Yayıncılık.
  55. Yong, A., & Rudolph, J. (2022). A review of Quizizz-a gamified student response system. Journal of Applied Learning & Teaching, 5(1), 146-155. https://search.informit.org/doi/10.3316/informit.T2025110400001300050848149
  56. 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
  57. Zeybek, N., & Saygı, E. (2024). Gamification in education: Why, where, when, and how? A systematic review. Games and Culture, 19(2), 237-264. https://doi.org/10.1177/15554120231158625