Potential of Digital Game-Based Learning in Vocational Mathematics Education

Digital game-based learning holds significant promise as a pedagogical tool for secondary vocational education and training, particularly in the context of mathematics. While students demonstrate a high level of intrinsic interest in gaming, their perception of the educational utility of these tools remains moderate. The primary challenge for educators lies in bridging the gap between entertainment and academic rigor. To maximize effectiveness, digital game-based activities must move beyond superficial engagement and explicitly integrate practical, vocationally grounded mathematical tasks that mirror real-world career requirements.

Research conducted among 469 vocational students in Croatia reveals that while gaming habits and genre preferences vary by gender, these demographic factors do not significantly influence a student’s overall openness to digital learning. Students across all groups share a positive attitude toward the potential value of integrating games into the curriculum, even though their direct experience with educational game genres remains limited. The findings suggest that the perceived value of these tools is currently driven more by general interest than by a clear understanding of how games can facilitate specific mathematical learning outcomes.

Successful implementation requires a strategic design that balances adaptive challenge mechanics with clear workplace applications. By ensuring that game mechanics do not distract from core mathematical objectives, educators can maintain student engagement while reinforcing essential skills. Because current insights rely heavily on student self-reporting, future research must transition toward longitudinal and experimental studies. Such efforts are necessary to validate these perceptions and provide empirical evidence regarding the actual impact of digital game-based learning on student achievement within vocational settings.