Enhancing Reading Instruction Through Gamification: A Systematic Review of Theoretical Models, Implementation Strategies, and Measurable Outcomes (2020-2024)

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Aim/Purpose: The purpose of this systematic literature review is to explore the use of gamification in reading instruction between 2020 and 2024, focusing on the main theories and models, implementation strategies in various educational settings, measurable effects on student engagement and comprehension, and future directions for research. Background: Reading instruction faces persistent challenges, including declining student engagement, varied reading comprehension levels, and a lack of motivation among learners. Traditional methods often fail to captivate students, resulting in suboptimal literacy outcomes. In response to these challenges, educators and researchers are increasingly turning to gamification as a promising approach to reinvigorate reading instruction. Gamification, which incorporates game design elements into non-game contexts, has the potential to enhance student motivation, engagement, and comprehension. Methodology: In order to guarantee precision and reliability, this systematic literature review follows the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyzes (PRISMA) 2020 guidelines. This review focuses on studies published in the Web of Science, Scopus, and ScienceDirect databases from 2020 to 2024 and applied inclusion criteria to select 15 peer-reviewed studies from 421 retrieved, focusing on gamification in reading instruction. Contribution: This paper addresses a gap in the existing literature on gamified reading instruction by examining the theoretical foundation, different implementation strategies, and measurable effects of gamification in reading instruction across various educational settings and age groups. Additionally, it offers recommendations and guidance for future research in the field of gamified reading instruction. This study also offers a systematic approach for educators to implement gamified reading instruction. Findings: This review examined a total of 15 papers, encompassing various educational settings and age ranges. The investigations were conducted in multiple countries, including China, Indonesia, and Spain, demonstrating a worldwide interest in gamified reading education. Self-determination theory (SDT) is significant in the domain of gamified reading teaching. Primary school extensively incorporates gamified reading instruction, emphasizing the use of badges, leaderboards, narrative contexts, and avatars to foster captivating and individualized learning experiences. Multiple studies consistently demonstrate that the integration of game aspects into reading teaching leads to improvements in reading speed, reading accuracy, reading immersion, interactivity, and frequency. Recommendations for Practitioners: Educators are encouraged to integrate gamification elements tailored to different educational stages, such as badges and narrative contexts in primary education and collaborative challenges in higher education, to enhance student engagement and comprehension. Recommendation for Researchers: Researchers should focus on conducting longitudinal studies to assess the long-term effects of gamification and work on integrating varied theoretical frameworks to provide a more consistent foundation for future research. Impact on Society: This paper proposes that implementing gamification in reading instruction has the potential to positively influence reading comprehension and student motivation, ultimately leading to improved educational results on a larger scale. Future Research: Future research should explore the long-term effects of gamification on reading instruction, address the identified limitations of current studies, and investigate its effectiveness across different cultural and educational contexts.