O uso da gamificação para despertar o interesse e engajamento dos estudantes em sala de aula

Abstract

In this study, gamification is conceptualized as a strategy for facilitating the acquisition of knowledge in Geography. The research aims to examine how, in classroom settings, the use of gamification as an instructional tool can foster students’ interest and engagement, supporting active and guided knowledge construction that integrates both theoretical content and practical application. The central research question guiding this study is: how can gamification stimulate interest and engagement among 12th-grade students in a Geography lesson on Morphoclimatic Domains? A qualitative methodology was adopted, focusing on the analysis of complex educational phenomena within their natural contexts, with particular attention to the construction and interpretation of data. The phenomenon under investigation concerns the ways in which students’ interest and engagement emerge in the classroom and how these dimensions can be enhanced through intentional pedagogical practices such as gamification. As part of a Professional Master’s program in Education, this dissertation involved the development of an Educational Product in the form of a game titled Dom – Morphoclimatic Domains, designed as a classroom instructional tool to address the study’s central research question. A questionnaire, created via Google Forms, was administered to assess students’ interest and engagement during the lesson in which the game was implemented. The study was conducted in a public school located on the coast of São Paulo state, Brazil. The findings indicate that gamification functioned effectively as an instructional tool, promoting students’ interest and engagement in the construction of geographic knowledge, while underscoring the importance of careful planning and intentional implementation. Despite challenges related to internet access on school-provided devices, students demonstrated motivation and willingness to participate in the activity. It is therefore concluded that gamification can serve as an effective instructional strategy for enhancing the interest and engagement of 12th-grade students, contributing to the meaningful construction of geographic knowledge, particularly in the context of Morphoclimatic Domains.