INTEGRATING GAMIFICATION INTO GENRE PEDAGOGY IN TEACHING DESCRIPTIVE TEXT TO SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS

Reformasi Merdeka Belajar oleh pemerintah Indonesia berfokus, antara lain, pada mendorong praktik pengajaran inovatif dalam pembelajaran bahasa Inggris. Dalam upaya ini, promosi gamifikasi sebagai praktik pengajaran inovatif, khususnya melalui penggunaan gamifikasi bertema escape room, muncul sebagai pendekatan yang menjanjikan karena hasil positif dalam penelitian sebelumnya. Namun, penelitian terbatas tentang penerapannya dalam pengajaran bahasa Inggris, terutama untuk teks deskriptif. Oleh karena itu, penelitian ini menyelidiki integrasi gamifikasi ke dalam pedagogi berbasis genre untuk mendukung pembelajaran teks deskriptif pada siswa dan mengidentifikasi bukti linguistik dari kemajuan mereka. Penelitian ini menggunakan studi kasus berorientasi aksi dengan mengintegrasikan gamifikasi ke dalam Pedagogi Berbasis Genre sebagai kerangka pengajaran. Pengumpulan data melibatkan catatan observasi, catatan reflektif guru, serta teks deskriptif pra- dan pasca-intervensi dari para siswa. Temuan penelitian mengungkapkan bahwa gamifikasi meningkatkan keterlibatan dan motivasi siswa, menarik perhatian mereka dan mendorong partisipasi aktif. Selain itu, gamifikasi memberikan umpan balik langsung, memungkinkan siswa untuk memantau kemajuan mereka dengan efektif dan menyempurnakan keterampilan menulis mereka. Selain itu, intervensi ini menghasilkan kompetensi linguistik yang lebih baik, terbukti dari siswa menghasilkan teks deskriptif yang lebih padat secara leksikal dan menarik sambil tetap mematuhi karakteristik teks deskripsi dalam penulisan pasca-intervensi mereka. Meskipun demikian, hasil positif ini tidak secara eksklusif disebabkan oleh pengaruh gamifikasi. Sebaliknya, Pendekatan Berbasis Genre sendiri memainkan peran penting dalam membentuk hasil-hasil ini. Ini karena sementara gamifikasi membawa kemenarikan, kompetisi, dan umpan balik langsung ke dalam proses pembelajaran, Pendekatan Berbasis Genre memberikan pengetahuan dan pemahaman struktural yang penting yang memberdayakan siswa untuk menghasilkan komunikasi yang efektif dan bermakna. Namun begitu, hasil intervensi juga muncul kekhawatiran tertentu, termasuk variasi dalam keterlibatan dan preferensi siswa, yang menekankan perlunya guru mempertimbangkan gaya belajar yang beragam. Studi ini juga menekankan pentingnya dukungan dan dorongan guru dalam membentuk kepercayaan diri dan ketahanan siswa. Mencapai keseimbangan antara kolaborasi dan pekerjaan individu juga penting untuk mengakomodasi preferensi siswa yang beragam. Dan terakhir, guru harus memastikan bahwa elemen-elemen yang digamifikasi sejajar dengan hasil pendidikan dan mendorong siswa untuk melakukan penilaian diri dan refleksi. The Merdeka Belajar reforms by the Indonesian government focus, among others, on encouraging innovative teaching practices in English language learning. To this end, the promotion of gamification as innovative teaching practice, specifically gamified escape rooms, emerged as a promising approach due to positive results in previous studies. However, limited research exists on its application in English language teaching, particularly for descriptive text. Therefore, this study investigates the integration of gamification into genre-based pedagogy to support students' development of descriptive text and identify linguistic evidence of their progress. This study employed an action-oriented case study with gamification integrated into Genre-based Pedagogy as the framework of teaching. The data collection involved observation notes, teacher reflective notes, and pre- and post-intervention descriptive texts from students. The findings reveal that gamification enhances student engagement and motivation, captivating their attention and fostering active participation. Moreover, it provides immediate feedback, enabling students to effectively monitor their progress and refine their writing skills. Importantly, the intervention resulted in improved linguistic competence, evidenced by students producing lexically denser and engaging descriptive texts while also adhering to the characteristics of it in their post-intervention writings. Despite these positive outlooks on gamification, they are not exclusively attributed to the influence of gamification. Instead, the Genre-Based Approach itself has played a critical role in shaping these outcomes. This is because while gamification brought excitement, competition, and immediate feedback to the learning process, the Genre-Based Approach contributed the vital knowledge and structural understanding that empower students to produce meaningful and proficient communication. Moreover, certain concerns arose, including variations in student engagement and preference, emphasizing the need for teachers to consider diverse learning styles. The study also underscores the significance of teacher support and encouragement in fostering students' self-confidence and resilience. Achieving a balance between collaboration and individual work is also essential to accommodate varying student preferences. And lastly, teachers must ensure that gamified elements align with educational outcomes and foster students' self-assessment and reflection

Unlocking the Potential: Exploring Factors and Overcoming Challenges in Gamifying English Literacy

Gamification in the education system emerges for the first time in the late 2000s, and since its emergence, gamification has gained recognition as an innovative approach in education, creating dynamic and engaging learning environments. However, with its current emergence, studies relating to gamification in education are still limited. As such, the current study is conducted to answer two research questions. First, what factors to be considered when applying gamification into the teaching process, and second, what are the challenges when applying gamification into the teaching process. This research used interview to collect the data from two English teachers who have been implementing gamification in their teaching for several time, and thus the present study falls into qualitative research. The findings emphasize the importance of considering game mechanics, engagement and motivation levels, alignment with learning outcomes, learner needs and preferences, and contextual factors to effectively implement gamification. Additionally, the study highlights challenges such as designing effective game mechanics, potential distraction from learning goals, balancing gamification with traditional teaching methods, and ensuring sufficient resources and support for implementation. These findings underscore the necessity for teachers to comprehend gamification and evaluate its compatibility with students' learning needs in order to achieve better educational outcomes