The Effect of Games to Learn English on Students' Engagement in English Language Learning

Abstract

Student engagement is an important aspect of English language learning because it reflects students’ active participation during the learning process. While previous studies mainly focused on the effect of Games to Learn English (GLE) on students’ vocabulary mastery, limited studies have investigated its effect on students’ engagement. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the effect of GLE on students’ engagement in English language learning. This study employed a quantitative research approach with a quasi-experimental post-test only design involving 50 seventh-grade students at a junior high school in Bondowoso, East Java. The participants were divided into an experimental group taught using GLE and a control group taught through conventional learning activities. Students’ engagement was measured using the Students’ Engagement Scale (SES), which included agentic, behavioral, emotional, and cognitive engagement. The data were analyzed using an Independent Samples t-test and Mann-Whitney U test, depending on the normality of the data. The findings showed that the use of GLE did not have a statistically significant effect on students’ engagement. The findings also showed no statistically significant differences in agentic, behavioral, emotional, and cognitive engagement between the experimental and control groups. The similar academic characteristics of the participants, the short duration of the treatment, and the instructional conditions in both groups may have contributed to these findings. In conclusion, although GLE can provide interactive learning activities, its use did not significantly affect students’ engagement in this study. The findings suggest that GLE is better viewed as a supporting instructional medium, while teacher facilitation and well-designed learning activities remain important in supporting students’ engagement.