Implementing a gameful formative assesment (GFA)-based model into secondary school classroom instruction to facilitate learner- generated feedback and promote autonomous and heutagogic learning

Gameful formative assessments (GFAs) are instructional tools that use game components to assess and provide quick feedback on learner competencies with the intention of promoting learning. This research used three iterative Pedagogical Action Research (PedAR) cycles to introduce a GFA based model and refine classroom assessment routines around its use to establish a heutagogical culture in which students became more self-determined and autonomous. This was necessary to help prepare students for success in the twenty-first century. During the first cycle, implementing the GFA-based model resulted in a significant change in assessment routines in the research classrooms and improved learner attitudes towards formative assessment. The strategies from the previous cycle were refined and adjusted in the second cycle to achieve a discernible shift in practice towards pedagogical partnerships in formative evaluation, as well as an understanding that ongoing teacher training and support were required to use GFA tools effectively. The third cycle built on previous achievements to foster a culture of self-directed learning through formative evaluations. In this culture, teachers guided and supported self-sufficient, responsible, and motivated students.

The study discovered that sustained autonomous feedback generation increased learner engagement in formative evaluation and improved learners' ability to self-evaluate and devise appropriate strategies to advance their learning. Over time, these strategies promoted agentic engagement. The study found that staff skills and beliefs had a significant impact on student attitudes and achievement. The findings also showed that learner-centric approaches can transform instructional practices and equip students with critical lifelong learning skills when combined with appropriate tools and strategies. The study serves as a practical case study for studies into instructional innovation, gameful learning, involving learners in decision-making, and the factors that promote learner autonomy.