Gamification’s impact on vocabulary acquisition in intermediate-level English learners: case study, National University of Science and Technology, Oman

Gamification research in language learning has often prioritised platform-level comparisons over the specific mechanics that support vocabulary acquisition, particularly among intermediate learners. This quasi-experimental study examined -level effects in Omani higher education, an underexplored context in which vocabulary instruction often remains shaped by rote-learning practices. Over 12 weeks, traditional vocabulary instruction (n = 26) was compared with gamified instruction using Nearpod, Pear Deck, and NoRedInk (n = 28). Data were collected through pre- and post-vocabulary tests, motivation surveys, and structured classroom observations. Quantitative analysis employed independent-samples t-tests and Hedges’ g effect sizes. Similarly, qualitative classroom data were analysed thematically, with inter-rater agreement reported at Cohen’s κ = 0.87. The gamification group demonstrated significantly larger vocabulary gains (M = +2.79, SD = 1.64) than the control group (M = +1.00, SD = 1.12), t(52) = 4.68, p < 0.001, Hedges’ g = 0.90 [95% CI: 0.34, 1.46], indicating a large effect. Notably, 82% of experimental participants showed meaningful improvement, whereas 7% exhibited no gain, revealing important boundary conditions for gamified vocabulary instruction. Thematic analysis indicated that challenges, matching games, immediate feedback, and collaborative tasks were stronger drivers of engagement than points or leaderboards, suggesting that meaningful interaction outweighed the appeal of superficial reward structures. Grounded in Self-Determination Theory, the findings show how autonomy, competence, and relatedness may operate through specific gamification mechanics. The study, therefore, shifts the agenda from asking which digital tool works to examining which mechanisms support which learners under which conditions across culturally situated higher-education language classrooms.