Gifted Physics Students Engage with the Sustainable Development Goals Through Game-Based Learning

This qualitative case study examines how game-based learning structured around the 5E learning model enhances ninth-grade gifted physics students’ understanding of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Conducted in a Science and Art Centre located in a developing country, the study aimed to explore students’ knowledge of the SDGs through a 6-week (12 class periods) game-based instructional process. During the intervention, students participated in a researcher-designed lesson plan consisting of interactive, game-based activities encompassing all 17 SDGs. Data were collected through pre- and post-intervention visual (drawing) and written expression tasks. The collected data were analyzed using an inductive content analysis approach, in which students’ drawings and written narratives were coded according to the SDG goals and their sub-targets. To ensure the reliability and consistency of the coding process, expert review was employed. Students were asked to produce drawings and accompanying explanations related to the SDGs before the intervention, and the same tasks were repeated after the intervention to examine changes in their conceptual understanding. The findings indicate that students developed more accurate, detailed, and goal-specific representations in their drawings and written explanations. The results further reveal that students were able to articulate the purposes of the SDGs and the relationships among different goals in a clearer and more reasoned manner. Overall, the findings suggest that implementing game-based learning within the constructivist 5E learning model is an effective approach for supporting sustainability education among gifted physics students.