Analysis of Student Perceptions Concerning Gamification Element Effectiveness and Psychological Impact on Learning Engagement in Indonesian Secondary Education Contexts

Ruli Zardi

Penulis

Ruli Zardi Universitas PGRI Palembang Author

Kata Kunci:

Gamification Effectiveness, Intrinsic Motivation, Leaderboard Anxiety, Paideia-Ludus Balance, Student Perception

Abstrak

The objective of this research is to analyze students' perceptions of specific gamification elements (points, badges, leaderboards, challenges, and narrative) to determine how these elements influence learning effectiveness. It specifically examines the balance between educational value (paideia) and fun (ludus), as well as identifying triggers for intrinsic motivation versus psychological pressure. Employing Qualitative Descriptive Phenomenology, data were collected through mixed questionnaires and in-depth interviews using maximum variation sampling. Results indicate that optimal effectiveness is achieved through a dynamic balance between academic challenge and entertainment. While narrative and progressive challenges foster long-term intrinsic motivation, leaderboards act as a double-edged sword, frequently triggering anxiety in lower-performing students. This study contributes to technology acceptance models by integrating affective responses into the gamification framework.

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