The Impact of Gamification-Integrated Digital Teaching Materials on Metacognitive Awareness in Early Childhood Education
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.31537/jeti.v9i1.3106Keywords:
Gamification, Digital teaching, Metacognitive, Early childhoodAbstract
This study examines the impact of gamification integrated digital teaching materials on metacognitive awareness in early childhood education. A quasi experimental pretest posttest control group design was employed involving 120 children aged 5 to 6 years in East Java Indonesia. The intervention was conducted over eight weeks and incorporated game elements including points badges levels and immediate feedback combined with structured metacognitive scaffolding. Data were analyzed using ANCOVA with pretest scores as covariates. The results indicate a significant effect of the intervention on metacognitive awareness with a large effect size eta squared 0.61. Improvements were observed in planning monitoring and evaluation with the strongest gains in planning. However the quasi experimental design and short duration limit causal generalization and long term inference. The findings suggest that gamification can serve as an effective scaffold for early metacognitive development when supported by appropriate pedagogical integration rather than relying solely on motivational features.
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