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This meta-analysis examines the overall effectiveness of mobile games in language learning and the influence of various moderating factors. Following the protocol of a systematic review, a total of 38 (quasi-)experimental studies with 4102 participants were selected for the meta-analysis. The overall effect size of mobile games was found to be large (g = 0.962), with a 95% confidence interval 0.688–1.235. This finding was validated through sensitivity analysis and publication bias tests. The moderator analysis confirmed significantly positive effects on vocabulary and pronunciation and on English language learning (English as the target language), but the effects on other outcomes (e.g. speaking, reading, writing, grammar, and literacy) or on other target languages were less clear. The moderator analyses also showed larger effects for secondary students over elementary students and preschoolers, medium sample sizes over small and large sizes, intermediate interventions over short and long interventions, L2 over L1 learning, and adventure games over other game genres. There was no significant difference between individual and collaborative games, nor across different publication types or different mobile devices. This meta-analysis confirms the potential of mobile games as a powerful tool for formal and informal language learning, encouraging a shift toward more interactive and student-centered educational environments. The findings provide important implications for both language educators and game developers in tailoring instructional design and mobile game features to support language education.
Liu et al. (Fri,) studied this question.