Gamification as a Pedagogical Approach to Strengthen Academic Performance and IMT Literacy in Empowerment Technologies for Senior High School TVL Learners

Abstract

In the context of 21st-century learning, Information, Media, and Technology (IMT) literacy is critical for equipping students with the skills required for academic and workplace success. This quasi-experimental study investigated the effectiveness of a quest-based gamification strategy in improving the academic performance, hands-on ICT skills, and IMT literacy of Senior High School (SHS) students in the Technical-Vocational-Livelihood (TVL) strand. Two intact Grade 11 classes from a rural public high school in the Northern Mindanao, Philippines participated in the eight-week intervention: one receiving conventional instruction (control) and the other undergoing gamified lessons (experimental). Pre- and post-test measures were conducted using validated instruments on IMT skills, a teacher-made academic test, and a performance-based rubric. Descriptive statistics revealed higher mean scores across all constructs for the experimental group. Paired-samples t-tests showed statistically significant improvements within the experimental group, while independent-samples t-tests indicated significant differences favoring the experimental group in all post-test outcomes. These results suggest that the integration of gamification elements—such as narrative quests, performance rewards, and collaborative challenges—fostered greater student engagement and mastery of content. Anchored in the theory of gamified learning and aligned with the P21 Framework for 21st-century skills, this study affirms that gamification can be an effective pedagogical strategy to close skill gaps in digital literacy and enhance authentic learning outcomes. Recommendations include incorporating gamification in ICT curricula, conducting INSET training for teachers, and expanding future studies to include qualitative data and learners from other strands.