Analysis of Gender Differences in Digital Game-Based Language Learning for Thai Language Learning Affection, Cognition and Progress Performance

Abstract

This study aimed to use a Shaking Fun App with learning assessment and ranking learning as a teaching tool to allow Thai learning beginners to have digital game-style language learning, and to explore the gender differences in the perception of the cognitive and affective factors of the participants and the performance of gameplay progress based on the cognitive-affective theory of learning with media and embodying learning theory. In this study, a total of 246 Thai language learning beginners taking basic Thai (I) courses in 2 universities and 1 university of science and technology in northern Taiwan were invited to participate in the study. After those who dropped out were deducted and invalid data was deleted, there were 202 effective study participants including 82 males (40.6%) and 120 females (59.4%), and the effective recovery rate was 82.1%. After the reliability and validity analyses with SPSS 23.0, and the item analysis with AMOS 20.0, the gender differences were analyzed. The results showed that: there were indeed significant differences in participants of different genders in terms of gameplay flow, test anxiety and gameplay progress performance, but there was no significant difference in the continuance gameplay intention. In addition, using the Shaking Fun App for multiple weeks of DGBLL can indeed help learners to improve their game performance (Thai grammar).

Gender differences in utilizing a game-based approach within the EFL online classrooms

“…This result ties well with previous studies [ 12 , 17 , 18 ], wherein the argument lies heavily on the fact that there are no differences between genders in regard to perception and performance in gamification or digitized classrooms. Regardless of limited distinctions in in-game preferences between female and male students stated in earlier research (Khan et al [ 15 ]), the overall comparison between genders does not indicate any major differences regarding student motivation, engagement, comprehension, or performance.…”

“…There has been a growing utilization of games like Kahoot! by educators to assist their students' motivation and increase their interest within the classroom [ 2 , 12 , 15 , 18 ].…”

“…Wang et al [ 18 ] conducted an analysis of gender differences in a digitized classroom to examine students' overall progress and development and found that male students were at a disadvantage in comparison to female students. Female students reported a higher rate of progress and “gameplay flow” (p. 122).…”

“…Contrary to the main argument that there are some differences between female and male students' performance when adopting digital games, some studies are opposed by claiming that there are no differences in EFL classrooms [ 12 , 17 , 18 ]. Wang et al [ 18 ] noted that although genders out-perform each other on certain levels of testing (adopting a t -test for examining “game flow play,” testing “anxiety,” “Continuous gameplay intention,” and “Gameplay progress and performance”), the overall comparison did not show any significant differences between female and male students (p. 122).…”