Enhancing Grade 7 Students’ Understanding of Prime Factorization and GCD Concepts through Gamification

This study explored the effectiveness of gamified instruction in enhancing Grade 7 students’ understanding of Prime Factorization and the Greatest Common Divisor (GCD). Using a quasi-experimental one-group pre-test–post-test design, the research involved 50 students from a public junior high school in Luzon, Philippines. The intervention integrated gamification elements—such as points, badges, and rewards—into daily remedial lessons over a two-week period. Pre- and post-tests consisting of 20 items were administered to measure student performance before and after the intervention. Results showed a significant improvement in students’ understanding of the prime factorization and GCD concepts based on the pre-test and post-test scores, with the mean increasing from 5.60 during the pre-test to 12.02 and large effect size (r = 0.84), indicating the positive impact of gamification on student learning. Additionally, the reduction in standard deviation suggests more consistent performance across the students. Statistical analysis using the Wilcoxon Signed-Rank Test confirmed that the improvement was highly significant (p < 0.001). The findings support existing literature on gamified learning environments’ motivational and cognitive benefits. However, the study also acknowledges the importance of strategic and balanced implementation, as overuse or misapplication may reduce effectiveness. The research recommends broader application with larger, more diverse samples and longer intervention periods. Gamification, when thoughtfully applied, can serve as a powerful tool to increase engagement, boost confidence, and improve mastery of foundational mathematical concepts.