Gamification as a tool to develop motivation in student learning

The use of gamification in Ecuadorian Basic General Education has been implemented in specific cases, such as review and exams, using platforms like Kahoot, Quizizz, and Wordwall. To gain a deeper understanding from the teachers' perspective, this study aimed to analyze their perceptions of gamification as a tool for developing learning motivation in fifth-grade students in the Santa Elena canton. A descriptive qualitative approach was used with ten participating teachers from five schools. These teachers were interviewed, and their data was analyzed using thematic analysis with Atlas.ti. The results indicate that teachers perceive gamification as a tool used in non-game contexts for review and assessments. According to their experiences, gamification has positive effects on motivation and academic performance, but its use is limited by the scarcity of equipment that meets the necessary requirements and by unreliable internet connections.