Introduction

Vocabulary building stands out as one of the foundational aspects in the face of rapidly
changing education. Indeed, more traditional modes of learning, such as rote memorization, tend
to fall short because such a traditional paradigm has often been criticized for not engaging
students to attain meaningful learning. Nowadays, educators try to look for new techniques that
will improve student engagement and retention. One of these methods includes gamification.
Gamification has recently gained popularity because it can bring game elements into the process
of learning, therefore making learning more interactive and enjoyable. Context and Background

Gamification refers to the incorporation of game mechanics-rewards, point systems, and

challenges into contexts other than gaming and has seen some success in various educational
areas. Various literature was reviewed about the effectiveness of gamification in motivating
students to better learning outcomes. For instance, Hamari et al. (2014) established that
gamification might be able to enhance student motivation and engagement in certain classroom
situations. On their part, Su & Cheng (2015) indicated that gamification enhances students'
participation and performance related to learning the English language; vocabulary acquisition
has been considered by the writers particularly. (Literature Review)

Despite these promising findings, there are several problems concerning the successful
application of gamification in the classroom. Among those, the attitudes and perceptions of
teachers have been identified as crucial for the effective introduction of gamified approaches.
The literature shows that the attitude of teachers to educational innovations in general, and
towards gamification in particular, can influence the decisions that they make regarding adopting
or not adopting gamification strategies. However, limited studies have been conducted regarding
English teachers' perceptions about gamification of vocabulary teaching. This study, therefore,
will try to fill this gap by exploring the perceptions of English teachers towards gamification in
teaching vocabulary and the reality of their usage. Problem Statement & Purpose of the Study

The following are some of the main research questions that will be addressed in this study: What
are the views of the teachers of English concerning gamification in language vocabulary? What
gamification techniques do these teachers use, and what challenges do they face in implementing
them? Research Questions

Understanding teachers' perspectives is important, as it is their attitudes that may bring about the
difference in the effectiveness of gamification in practice. This study, therefore, tries to add to the
literature related to the use of gamification in education and seeks from the perceptions and
practices of the English teachers valuable insight that might help improve vocabulary acquisition
techniques.

References:

1. Hamari, J., Koivisto, J., & Sarsa, H. (2014). Does gamification work? A literature
review of empirical studies on gamification. In: 2014 47th Hawaii International Conference on
System Sciences (pp. 3025-3034). IEEE.
• https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/6758978
 2. Su, C.-H., & Cheng, C.-H. (2015). A mobile gamification learning system for
improving the learning motivation and achievements. Journal of Educational Technology &
Society, 18(3), 168-178.
• https://www.jstor.org/stable/jeductechsoci.18.3.168
3. Davis, F. D. (1989). Perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, and user
acceptance of information technology. MIS Quarterly, 13(3), 319-340.
• https://www.jstor.org/stable/249008
Tornatzky, L. G., & Klein, K. J. (1982). Innovation characteristics and innovation adoption-
implementation: A meta-analysis of findings. IEEE Transactions on Engineering Management,
EM-29(1), 28-45.
• https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/6501456

RRL
Literature Review

1. Gamification in Education:

Gamification is the integration of game design elements in non-game contexts. Recently, it has
been used in education to improve learning and engagement. Other scholars, like Deterding et al.
(2011), also cited that gamification might alter conventional learning environments by including
elements such as points, badges, and leaderboards, with the hope of motivating learners to make
the learning experience more appealing.

2. Vocabulary Acquisition:

Acquisition of vocabulary is among the most important aspects of language learning. While
some studies, such as those by Nation 2013, have urged more emphasis on vocabulary
instruction to augment language proficiency, traditional ways have engaged no more than rote
memorization, which is less inviting to learners than other, more interactive techniques would be.

3. Gamification for Vocabulary Learning:

Recent research has focused on the use of gamification for the purpose of vocabulary acquisition,
for example. Surendeleg and McMullen (2018) reported that the use of gamified elements in
vocabulary exercises can enhance student motivation and lead to better retention. Game-based
apps and digital platforms have been found to be of positive assistance in enhancing the
vocabulary skills of learners through immediate feedback and practice in an interactive way.

4. Teachers' Perceptions and Practices:

Teachers' perception about gamification may determine the way gamification is implemented and
how effective it is. Results from the study conducted by Kim (2020) show that, while many
educators believe in the potency of gamification, they are likely to experience complications in
implementing such initiatives, as they are integrated with current school curricula. Teachers'
attitude toward gamification and their comfort with technology have been considered crucial for
the effective delivery of gamification.

5. Challenges and Considerations:

Despite such advantages, there are challenges related to gamification and these include balancing
the game mechanics with the teaching content and gamified activities corresponding to learning
objectives among others. These, among others, have also been discussed by Hamari et al., the
challenges and effective implementation strategies of gamification in education. Conclusion

In fact, as the literature has shown, gamification can indeed facilitate vocabulary acquisition by
making learning more engaging and interactive, although its successful implementation requires
knowledge regarding teachers' perception and possible challenges issues related to gamification.
Further research should investigate how different gamification strategies affect vocabulary
learning in specific ways, as well as what kind of support is needed to help teachers put these
techniques into practice.

References:
1. 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: Envisioning Future Media Environments, 9-15.
https://doi.org/10.1145/2181037.2181040
2. Nation, I. S. P. (2013). Learning vocabulary in another language (2nd ed.).
Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9781139858656
3. Surendeleg, G., & McMullen, B. (2018). Using gamification to enhance
vocabulary retention. Educational Technology Research and Development, 66(5), 1101-1116.
4. Kim, S. (2020). Teachers’ perceptions of gamification in the classroom. Journal of
Educational Technology Systems, 49(1), 30-50.
5. Hamari, J., Koivisto, J., & Sarsa, H. (2014). Does gamification work? A literature
review of empirical studies on gamification. 47th Hawaii International Conference on System
Sciences, 3025-3034. https://doi.org/10.1109/HICSS.2014.377