Effects of gamified didactic with exergames on the psychological variables associated with promoting physical exercise: results of a natural experiment run in primary schools

Abstract

ABSTRACT Background Exergames are a new socio-technological phenomenon consisting of digital motor games that aim to stimulate players’ motor skills. The physical-motor component of exergames has been well studied, but knowing more about their possible psychological effects in the school context is interesting to promote physical exercise practice. Gamification refers to the use of game-based elements in non-game contexts, whose aim is to motivate action by making activities more game-like. Gamification seems an innovative strategy to promote physical exercise habits at schools whose real effects are still poorly unknown. Physical education has significant direct and indirect influences on students’ physical exercise. Exergames and gamification are associated with psychological benefits related to physically active behaviour. Purpose The aim of this study was to analyse the effects of a gamified exergaming school intervention on the psychological variables associated with physical exercise (PEx) promotion. We hypothesised that the gamified exergaming school intervention will produce more achievement motivation, more enjoyment, a more positive attitude towards exergames, and more exergame and PEx intention in students. Participants and setting A natural experiment with a non-randomised controlled design. The participants were 417 Primary Education students (53.2% girls, n = 222; 46.8% boys, n = 195) recruited from two public and two non-public schools (control group, n = 191; experimental group, n = 226). Their mean age was 11.1 (SD = 1.7), and 50.4% of the sample studied Primary Education Year 6 (aged 10–11 years; n = 210) and 49.6% studied Primary Education Year 7 (11–12 years; n = 207). The control treatment (traditional didactic intervention) was designed based on usual didactic dance teaching in Spain. Another similar experimental treatment was designed as the control treatment, but with a gamified climate and an exergame (gamified exergaming intervention). The Just Dance Now exergame was used. The Mechanics-Dynamics-Aesthetics framework was applied to achieve mastery-oriented motivational climates and an inclusive gamified atmosphere for all student-player types. Moreover, to gamify each class the ClassDojo application was used. Data collection The students completed: the Achievement Motivation in Physical Education Test (AMPET); the Sport Satisfaction Instrument (SSI); the ‘Attitudes Toward Exergames’ scale; the ‘Exergame intention’ scale; the ‘Exercise Intention’ scale. Statistical analyses In order to test the research hypotheses, both study groups were compared using factorial ANOVAs 2 (time; pre-treatment condition vs. post-treatment condition) × 2 (treatment; traditional didactic intervention vs. gamified exergaming intervention). Findings As the analysis threshold was set at ≤0.0125 with Bonferroni adjustment, the results showed better positive gamified exergaming effects on enjoyment and attitude towards exergames. No interaction effects on achievement motivation, exergame intention or PEx intention were found. Conclusions This is the first study to examine an intervention combining Mechanics-Dynamics-Aesthetics (MDA) gamification framework as a didactic method and exergame as an educational resource, adopted as a strategy to promote the variables associated with encouraging PEx in primary schools. A gamified exergaming educational intervention might have some positive effects on variables associated with physical exercise promotion but its ability as an exercise promotion strategy is still unclear and future research should be conducted.