This study investigated the impact of a gamification-based didactic program on students’ motivation, lexical availability, and academic achievement in high school geometry. Addressing concerns over low student engagement and performance in mathematics, often due to abstract content and passive pedagogy, the research integrates gamified elements into ICT-based geometry modules to foster active and meaningful learning. Anchored in Self-Determination Theory and the ARCS Motivation Model, the study employed a quasi-experimental design with a pretest-posttest control group, involving 89 tenth-grade students students (aged 15–16), consisting of 45 females (50.6%) and 44 males (49.4%), from a from a subsidized private school in Jakarta. Over a five-week trigonometry unit, the experimental group engaged with digital tools including PhET simulations, Kahoot!, and TikTok-based mnemonic media, all structured within the e-TPACK framework. Results showed a 23% improvement in academic performance based on pre- and post-test comparisons. Gamification significantly enhanced students’ verbal expression in geometry, as reflected in increased word production and lexical diversity. Post-test motivation scores were also higher in the experimental group, indicating greater engagement. Moreover, a stronger correlation between motivation and academic achievement in this group reinforces gamification as a robust pedagogical strategy for enhancing learning outcomes in secondary mathematics education. These findings suggest that educators and curriculum developers should consider systematically integrating gamified, ICT-supported modules anchored in motivational theories such as SDT and ARCS into geometry instruction. Future implementations should prioritize culturally relevant game elements and adaptive technologies to sustain engagement, particularly among diverse student populations.
Yulianto et al. (Mon,) studied this question.