Teachers’ Experiences in Implementing Gamified Reading Interventions: Perceived Influence on Reading Fluency and Learner Engagement Among Junior High School Students

Abstract

Gamified reading interventions have emerged as innovative instructional approaches that enhance learner motivation, engagement, and literacy development in contemporary education. This qualitative phenomenological study explored teachers’ experiences in implementing gamified reading interventions and examined their perceived influence on reading fluency and learner engagement among junior high school students. The study involved twelve junior high school English teachers from selected public secondary schools in the Philippines who were purposively selected based on their experience in utilizing gamified reading strategies in classroom instruction. Data were gathered through semi-structured interviews, classroom observations, and document analysis. Braun and Clarke’s thematic analysis revealed five major themes: (1) Enhancing Learner Motivation Through Interactive and Competitive Reading Activities; (2) Improving Reading Fluency Through Repetitive and Technology-Assisted Reading Practices; (3) Promoting Active Participation and Collaborative Engagement in Reading Tasks; (4) Addressing Diverse Reading Difficulties Through Gamified Differentiated Instruction; and (5) Technological and Instructional Challenges in Gamified Reading Implementation. Findings revealed that gamified reading interventions positively influenced learners’ oral reading fluency, comprehension, confidence, and classroom participation. Teachers observed that game-based reading activities reduced learners’ anxiety and encouraged reluctant readers to actively participate in literacy tasks. However, participants also encountered challenges related to technological accessibility, classroom management, learner diversity, and limited instructional resources. The study concludes that gamified reading interventions serve as effective learner-centered instructional approaches that support literacy engagement and reading fluency development. The findings provide implications for literacy instruction, teacher professional development, and technology-supported reading intervention programs in secondary education.