The influence of Roblox gameplay on vocabulary acquisition in teenagers English learners
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.56183/iberoeds.v6i2.726Palavras-chave:
adolescent EFL learners; digital game-based language learning; Ecuador; Roblox; vocabulary learning; virtual environmentsResumo
This study examined changes in English vocabulary performance and classroom engagement during a structured Roblox-based intervention with adolescent learners of English as a foreign language (EFL) in Ecuador. A one-group pre-experimental design was combined with classroom observation. Thirteen students aged 12-17 completed a 10-item vocabulary pre-test and post-test and participated in ten two-hour instructional sessions over three months. The sessions used selected Roblox simulations, social experiences, and survival challenges to elicit target vocabulary through description, collaboration, and problem solving. Mean scores increased from 4.85 (SD = 1.07) to 8.46 (SD = 0.78), for a mean within-participant gain of 3.62 points, 95% CI [3.31, 3.92]. An exploratory paired-samples test showed a statistically reliable within-group difference, t (12) = 25.74, p < .001. Logbook observations also documented more frequent participation, peer collaboration, and use of target words during game-based tasks, although connectivity and device constraints interrupted some sessions. The findings are consistent with research linking digital games and immersive environments to contextualized exposure and engagement, but they do not establish that Roblox caused the gains. The small sample, absence of a comparison group, short researcher-developed test, possible practice and novelty effects, and lack of delayed measurement substantially limit inference. Roblox is therefore best understood as a potentially useful supplementary environment when activities are carefully selected, pedagogically structured, and safely moderated.
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