A Study on Classroom Engagement in Gamified English Instruction in Elementary Schools Across Different Class Sizes: A Case of a Summer Volunteer Teaching Classroom in Longyou County, Zhejiang Province
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.62177/jetp.v3i4.1768Keywords:
Class Size, Gamified Classroom, Classroom Engagement, Elementary School EnglishAbstract
This study examines the impact of class size on the participation of primary school English gamification teaching, focusing on the changes in the participation of habitually silent students. The data were collected through classroom observation, semi-structured interviews and case tracking, and the five classes of different classes were observed in a triangular way. The results showed that the class size was negatively correlated with classroom participation. The smaller the class, the higher the overall participation. The silent students also had positive changes in active response, non-verbal participation and attention maintenance; these results can provide a preliminary reference for front-line teachers to adjust gamification teaching strategies under different lesson types.
Downloads
References
Guo, Z. (2026). How small-class teaching empowers interdisciplinary instruction amid school-age population shifts: A qualitative investigation based on the experiences of 64 teachers. Journal of Educational Development, (8), 56–65. https://doi.org/10.16215/j.cnki.cn441371/g4.2026.08.007
Dong, K., & Cao, W. (2026). The impact of gamified instruction on students' academic achievement, learning engagement, and psychological distress in Japanese language teaching. Current Psychology, 45(15), 1315. https://doi.org/10.1007/S12144-026-09858-0
Zhang, Y. (2026). A study on gamified vocabulary instructional strategies for early elementary English. Primary School Students (First Ten-Day Issue), (7), 25–27.
Al Abtahee, H., Mahanur, T., Sultana, S., Hasan, M. J., & Akter, T. (2026). The impact of gamified vocabulary instruction on foreign language anxiety and learner wellbeing: Evidence from undergraduate EFL classrooms. Language and Health, 4(2), 100093. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.LAHEAL.2026.100093
Liu, Y. (2025). Reflections on implementation strategies of gamified instruction in elementary English vocabulary classroom teaching. China Basic Education Resource Database (Primary School Edition), 24(5), 30–35. https://doi.org/10.27007/j.cnki.jjix.20260630.001
Wang, Y., & Li, C. (2026). Development and validation of the primary school student classroom engagement scale: An action research based on mental health lesson examples. Psychology Monthly, 21(12), 62–65. https://doi.org/10.19738/j.cnki.psy.2026.12.014
Wu, Y., Liu, Y., & Zhang, M. (2026). Toward small-class teaching: How to conceptualize and implement the new high-quality small-class system? Jiangsu Education, (21), 40–45.
Xiao, J. (2026). Running high-quality rural small-scale schools: Transforming the challenges of small class sizes into the advantages of small-class teaching. Basic Education in China, (6), 24–25.
Gai, L. (2026). Analysis of pathways to improve elementary students' English classroom engagement through gamification-based instruction. English on Campus, (16), 120–122.
Wang, Y. (2025). Exploration of the effectiveness of small-class English teaching. In Proceedings of the "Foundation Building · 2025" Symposium on High-Quality Development of Basic Education (Vol. 2, p. 48). Jilin Provincial Society for Life and Safety Education. https://doi.org/10.26914/c.cnkihy.2025.087096
Liu, Y. (2023). Dilemmas and breakthroughs of rural elementary English teaching from the perspective of educational ecology. Education Science Forum, (1), 5–11.
Dong, S. (2022). Dilemmas of rural elementary school English teaching and the creation of learning contexts. English for Middle School Students, (24), 155–156.
Li, M., Zhang, P., Ge, X., & Luo, L. (2020). The moderating effect of class size on the relationship between teachers' instructional behaviors and students' academic achievement and learning interest: Evidence from a large-sample study. Journal of Educational Studies, 16(6), 108–116. https://doi.org/10.14082/j.cnki.1673-1298.2020.06.012
Sui, H., & Sun, Y. (2019). The application of game-based teaching in early childhood English education. Chinese & Foreign Entrepreneurs, (32), 139–140.
Su, Q. (2008). Class size and primary school English learning efficiency: A correlation analysis [Master's thesis, Changsha University of Science & Technology].
Ryan, R. M., & Deci, E. L. (2000). Self-determination theory and the facilitation of intrinsic motivation, social development, and well-being. American Psychologist, 55(1), 68–78.
Downloads
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Wenwen Xu, Hongjing Chang

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
DATE
Accepted: 2026-10-09
Published: 2026-10-29








