Fostering Motivation through Cultural Serious Games: A Self-Determination Theory Approach
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.61360/BoniGHSS252018230403Keywords:
serious games, motivation, cultural identity, self-determination theory, traditional cultureAbstract
This study explores how serious games can foster learner motivation and cultural identity using Self-Determination Theory (SDT) as a guiding framework. We designed a game—The Taste of Truth, a culturally grounded serious game, to support students' needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness, and compared the motivational, academic, and cultural identity outcomes between a game-based learning group and a traditional media group. The experimental results revealed that the game-based approach significantly improved learners’ intrinsic motivation, academic achievement, and cultural identity, with no significant differences observed in gender. These findings affirm the effectiveness of SDT-based design strategies and highlight the potential of serious games as inclusive and culturally responsive educational tools. This research contributes to the growing body of evidence that serious games can simultaneously achieve cognitive, affective, and sociocultural learning goals.
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