Gamificação na educação infantil em Oeiras: desafios e oportunidades

Abstract

This article investigates teachers' knowledge about gamification in early childhood education, aiming to explore how educators understand and apply gamification in this context. The overall objective was to understand the contributions of gamification to the teaching-learning process, as well as to identify the barriers teachers face in its application. Specific objectives include: examining educators' perceptions of gamification; understanding its pedagogical contributions; and identifying the challenges encountered in implementing this practice. To support the discussions, a theoretical framework was utilized that includes scholars such as Gardner (1993), Tolomei (2017), and Serpa (2023), among others. Methodologically, a qualitative research approach was employed through a detailed literature review and field research. Data analysis was guided by the content analysis guidelines proposed by Silva and Fossá (2015), focusing on questionnaires administered to four early childhood education teachers from the Municipal Education Network of Oeiras-PI. Based on the collected information, a critical-reflective interpretation was sought that related to the contributions of the relevant authors. The results indicated that although teachers recognize the potential of gamification, their understanding of the topic is limited and their training is insufficient.