Educational Larp in the Middle School Classroom: A Mixed Method Case Study

A mixed-method case study examines whether educational live-action role-play (edu-larp) can strengthen middle school students' engagement with science. The study followed a semester-long science curriculum at a Los Angeles charter school serving economically disadvantaged students, using a quasi-experimental, concurrent design with roughly 23 to 24 eighth-grade-level students. Validated surveys measuring intrinsic motivation, perceived competence, school engagement, teamwork, and leadership were administered before and after eight role-play scenarios, supplemented by semi-structured interviews.

The most consistent findings concern motivation and enjoyment. Quantitative data showed significant pre-to-post increases in intrinsic motivation and interest in science, and qualitative and quantitative evidence converged on improved perceived science competence, with students who initially rated themselves as low-competence reporting notable gains. Interviews described broadly positive sentiment toward the hands-on, role-based approach and the peer interaction it fostered. By contrast, teamwork and leadership showed no statistically significant change, and overall enjoyment of school changed little. Earlier gaps in enjoyment and perceived competence between boys and girls largely equalized by the second measurement.

The authors are emphatic about the limits of these results. The absence of a control group, the small convenience sample, multiple uncorrected t-tests that heighten Type I error risk, a school engagement scale with poor reliability (α = .51), and reliance on self-report mean causation cannot be established and the findings are not generalizable. Initial student enthusiasm and possible response bias may have inflated outcomes. Accordingly, the study presents edu-larp as a promising, engaging classroom method warranting careful facilitation, particularly with emotionally sensitive scenarios, and calls for larger controlled research and more streamlined curriculum integration.