Teaching Through Gamification Influences Learners' Motivation, Engagement, and Self-Reliance: Evidence From the ESL Classroom

This study investigates the effectiveness of gamification in addressing critical affective challenges — namely, low motivation, limited engagement, and reduced learner self-reliance—in English as a Second Language (ESL) classrooms in Pakistan. The research explores explicitly how gamified instruction can enhance these learning dimensions among undergraduate students in a public-sector university. A quantitative methodology was employed, with data collected through a structured questionnaire from 218 students in the mechanical engineering program. The intervention utilised a digital gamification tool that incorporated point-based rewards, visual leaderboards, and real-time feedback through mobile-based quizzes. Multiple regression analysis and descriptive statistics were employed to investigate the relationships between gamified instructional elements and students' affective outcomes. Results showed statistically significant and strong positive correlations between gamification and each target variable: motivation (r = 0.675), engagement (r = 0.642), and learner self-reliance (r = 0.609), all of which were significant at p < 0.01. The regression model accounted for 48% of the variance in motivation, 44% in engagement, and 39% in self-reliance. Students exposed to gamified lessons demonstrated higher participation, longer sustained attention, and increased self-direction compared to traditional instruction. These results confirm that gamification is not only effective but also practical in low-resource ESL settings. The study's findings offer important implications for teacher training, instructional design, and language education reform. By showcasing how gamification transforms passive classrooms into interactive learning spaces, this research contributes valuable, context-specific evidence to the evolving global discourse on student-centred ESL pedagogy.