Changes in Students’ Learning Motivation after Using Wordwall Educational Games in Integrated Natural and Social Sciences at Elementary School

Abstract

Learning motivation helps sustain students’ attention, persistence, and engagement during instruction. This study examined changes in students’ learning motivation after using Wordwall educational games in integrated natural and social sciences (IPAS). A quantitative pre-experimental one-group pretest-posttest design was employed. Saturated sampling included all 29 fourth-grade students at UPTD SDN 2 Rambatan Kulon, comprising 14 boys and 15 girls. Motivation was measured before and after instruction using a 20-item, four-point Likert questionnaire covering five indicators. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, a Shapiro-Wilk test of difference scores, a paired-samples t-test, a confidence interval, Cohen’s dz, and normalized gain. The mean motivation score increased from 52.59 (SD = 4.49) to 67.10 (SD = 5.58), representing a mean increase of 14.52 points. The paired-samples test indicated a significant change, t(28) = 13.919, p < .001, 95% CI [12.38, 16.65], with Cohen’s dz = 2.58. The normalized gain was 0.5286, categorized as moderate. These findings indicate a positive change in motivation following Wordwall use. However, because the study did not include a control group, the observed change cannot be attributed exclusively to Wordwall. Future studies should use a comparison group, document the intervention more comprehensively, and include follow-up measurements.