Inclusive student engagement in gamified Arabic classrooms: participation, confidence, and student voice

While gamification has been associated with increased engagement in technology-enhanced learning, limited evidence exists regarding its relationship with students’ psychological safety, confidence, and inclusion in face-to-face, language-rich classrooms. This study examined Grade 9 students’ perceptions of ClassPoint-supported gamification in Arabic and Islamic Studies classrooms in the United Arab Emirates. Using a quantitative, cross-sectional survey design, data were collected from 575 students across three domains: engagement and motivation, confidence and psychological safety, and inclusion and equitable participation. Descriptive statistics, Spearman’s rank-order correlations, and the Friedman test were employed. Findings revealed predominantly positive perceptions of engagement and motivation, followed by confidence and psychological safety, while inclusion and equitable participation received comparatively less favorable ratings. Strong positive associations emerged between engagement and confidence, alongside moderate to strong associations involving inclusion. The Friedman test identified statistically significant differences across the three domains. These findings suggest that gamified classroom interaction may support student participation and confidence, although positive engagement does not necessarily ensure equitable inclusion. The study highlights the importance of teacher-mediated gamification design in creating supportive, participatory learning environments and emphasizes the need to examine psychological safety and student voice alongside engagement.