Assessment of organizer model and conventional teaching method for improved student learning performance: a gamification-based perspective

Purpose – The main objective of the study is to analyze the effectiveness of the advance organizer model (AOM) versus the conventional teaching method (CTM) in teaching high school math using game-based learning (GBL) for improved student learning performance. Design/methodology/approach – Data from 480 students, covering sociodemographics, educational identifiers and actions, were collected across two semesters. The research analyzed factors like interest, motivation, and problem-solving abilities to assess the impact of teaching methods. A quasi-experimental design, due to non-randomized group selection, was used, mitigating differences via analysis of covariance. Students were split into control and test groups, and test scores before and after administering the treatment were calculated. Hypothesis testing was carried out to find the effectiveness of AOM versus CTM. The sample contains a diverse sociodemographic background and educational setting. 175 students in the sample were female and 305 were male. The sample was made up of 14 nationalities, including Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Peru, Iraq and Lebanon. Parent participation was also incorporated through parental satisfaction surveys. Findings – Despite unknown group differences, the study found significant differences in Mean Retention Scores between the AOM and CTM groups. This suggests that AOM has considerable advantages in teaching mathematics over CTM. Originality/value – The study of the first kind that explores the effectiveness of different teaching methods based on gamification perspective for improving student performance.