Educational Escape Rooms in Pre-Service Teacher Training: An Activity Theory Analysis

Educational escape rooms serve as a potent pedagogical tool for fostering critical thinking, digital literacy, and collaborative problem-solving among pre-service teachers. By applying Activity Theory to analyze the experiences of educators in Brunei, the research demonstrates that these immersive environments effectively leverage collectivist social dynamics to facilitate knowledge co-construction. The integration of multimedia tools and structured peer interaction creates a high-engagement setting that encourages participants to navigate complex challenges collectively, thereby bridging the gap between theoretical training and practical classroom application.

Despite these benefits, the implementation of such activities reveals significant design contradictions that can impede the learning process. Inconsistencies in narrative clarity, uneven task difficulty, and limitations regarding tool accessibility often disrupt the flow of the experience. These findings suggest that the effectiveness of game-based learning is highly dependent on the precision of instructional design. When rules are ambiguous or the narrative lacks cohesion, the potential for deep learning is diminished, highlighting the necessity for more robust scaffolding and clearer guidance within the game architecture.

To maximize the pedagogical impact of educational escape rooms, designers must prioritize cultural responsiveness and structural coherence. In non-Western, collectivist educational contexts, success relies on aligning game mechanics with the specific social and cultural norms of the participants. Future efforts should focus on refining these instructional models through larger, longitudinal studies to better understand how these immersive experiences influence long-term teaching practices. By addressing current design gaps and tailoring materials to local environments, educators can transform these interactive challenges into reliable, high-impact tools for professional teacher development.