Empirical Investigation of the Effect of Gamification on Student Motivation and Achievement in Secondary School Biology in Ekiti State

Gamification applies game design elements to educational contexts to improve motivation and engagement, and empirically characterising its effects on Biology motivation and achievement in South West Nigerian secondary schools addresses both a pedagogical and a technology integration research need. This study empirically investigated the effects of gamification on student motivation and achievement in Senior Secondary School Biology in Ado-Ekiti Local Government Area, Ekiti State, South West Nigeria. A randomised controlled trial design was employed, with 160 SS2 Biology students randomly assigned to a gamified instruction group (n = 80) and a conventional instruction control group (n = 80). Gamification elements included a point-reward system, challenge badges, leaderboards, and game-embedded quizzes delivered through a purpose-built WhatsApp-compatible quiz format over eight weeks. Biology achievement tests and a validated Academic Motivation Scale were administered at baseline, mid-point, and end of study. The gamification group showed significantly higher post-intervention achievement scores (mean 76.2 versus 61.8 for the control, p < 0.001) and intrinsic motivation scores (p < 0.001). Effect sizes were large for both outcomes (Cohen's d = 1.28 for achievement, d = 0.97 for motivation). Female students showed comparable gamification benefits to male students. Improvements were maintained at a 4-week follow-up test. The study provides empirical evidence for gamification as an effective Biology instructional strategy and recommends game-element training for Biology teachers and low-cost gamification toolkit development for South West secondary schools. Keywords: gamification, Biology achievement, student motivation, secondary school, Ekiti State