Mathematical Gamification Mediated by Digital Tools: Effects on Motivation and Academic Performance in Students.
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.70577/ASCE/823.846/2025Keywords:
Critical thinking, Digital narratives, Augmented reality, Didactic innovation, History teaching, Emerging technologies, Secondary education.Abstract
This study looks at how using digital stories and augmented reality (AR) in history class affects the ability of high school pupils to think critically. People say that these tools will make people more interested, make them think more about historical sources, and help them improve their higher-order thinking skills like analysis, evaluation, and reasoning. A mixed quasi-experimental design was used in two second-year secondary school classrooms at a public school. The experimental group (n = 45) learned through interactive digital stories and augmented reality experiences, while the control group (n = 42) learned through regular lectures and guided readings. The intervention lasted for one academic semester and included five historical subject modules over the course of sixteen weeks. The technology employed included a mobile app that adds virtual surroundings to real places like museums and historical monuments, as well as narrative components that give pupils problems to solve.We employed validatedtools for evaluation, such as the PCHist standardized test of critical thinking in history, perceptual surveys, and qualitative field journals. The quantitative part of the data was looked at by independent samples t-tests, repeated measures ANOVA, and thematic coding. The data that were looked at show that the group who used the augmented reality tool (AR) had a big boost in their total PCHist scores (p < 0.01). The biggest improvements were seen in tasks that required historical reasoning and source evaluation. Interestingly, the students who went to the AR sessions the most often had the most improvements. Surveys showed that most people (87%) strongly agreed that they were more motivated and had a better understanding of how historical events happen. The field journals also showed that the students were getting better at making strong arguments and being able to compare different situations.Based on these results, the study shows that combining digital stories with AR can make history lectures more interesting by improving cognitive function and encouraging students to think critically, reflectively, and analytically about the past. This information is useful for teachers, curriculum designers, and educational innovators who want to use new technology as effective mediation tools in high school. Finally, the study implies that using AR and digital stories in a planned way could change how things are done in the classroom and help students improve their most important 21st-century skills.
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