Fostering Critical Thinking through Digital Game-Based Learning: A Case Study
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.29407/jetar.v11i1.28449Keywords:
critical thinking, English Learning, online game, young learnerAbstract
Critical thinking is increasingly recognized as a vital skill for young learners in the twenty-first century. This qualitative case study investigated how online educational games fostered critical thinking in an eight-year-old English learner. Data were collected through participatory observation, semi-structured interviews, and screen recordings, and were analyzed thematically using Facione’s framework. The results indicate that game-based tasks activated several dimensions of critical thinking, particularly interpretation, analysis, inference, and evaluation, through interactive and meaningful engagement. The study also highlights the important role of adult scaffolding in supporting learners’ questioning, clarification, and reflective decision-making during gameplay. These scaffolds enabled the learner to connect prior schemas with new information and refine decisions. The study offers preliminary insights into how critical thinking in young learners may be understood from both cognitive and sociocultural perspectives within digital learning environments. In practice, the findings suggest that online educational games can support the development of critical thinking when accompanied by appropriate facilitation by teachers or parents. However, the study is limited by its single-case design; therefore, future research is recommended to investigate digital game-based learning and critical thinking across broader groups of participants and educational contexts.
Downloads
References
Algouzi, S., Alzubi, A. A. F., & Nazim, M. (2023). Enhancing EFL students’ critical thinking skills using a technology-mediated self-study approach: EFL graduates and labor market in perspective. Plos one, 18(10), e0293273. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0293273
Al-Rahbi, A. M., Al-Mekhlafi, A. M., Al-Barwani, T., & Omara, E. (2022). Challenging the status quo: Critical thinking skills integration in the EFL curriculum of young learners. Journal of Curriculum and Teaching, 11(8), 79-96. URL: https://doi.org/10.5430/jct.v11n8p79
Braun, & Clarke. “Thematic Analysis.” APA Handbook of Research Methods in Psychology, Vol 2: Research Designs: Quantitative, Qualitative, Neuropsychological, and Biological., edited by Harris Cooper et al., American Psychological Association, 2012, pp. 57–71.
Cosgun, G., & Atay, D. (2021). Fostering critical thinking, creativity, and language skills in the EFL classroom through problem-based learning. International Journal of Curriculum and Instruction, 13(3), 2360-2385. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1312851
Dad, H. & Akbar, R. A. (2023). Critical thinking as a twenty first century skill. Journal of Educational Research and Social Sciences Review (JERSSR), 3(1), 8-15. https://www.jerssr.org.pk/ojs/index.php/jerssr/article/view/138
Darwin, Rusdin, D., Mukminatien, N., Suryati, N., Laksmi, E. D., & Marzuki. (2024). Critical thinking in the AI era: An exploration of EFL students’ perceptions, benefits, and limitations. Cogent Education, 11(1), 2290342. https://doi.org/10.1080/2331186X.2023.2290342
Dehghanzadeh, H., Fardanesh, H., Hatami, J., Talaee, E., & Noroozi, O. (2021). Using gamification to support learning English as a second language: a systematic review. Computer Assisted Language Learning, 34(7), 934-957. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijans.2025.100945
Ennis, R. (1985). A Logical Basis for Measuring Critical Thinking Skills. Educational Leadership, 43, 44-48. https://files.ascd.org/staticfiles/ascd/pdf/journals/ed_lead/el_198510_ennis.pdf
Facione, Peter A. (2011). Critical Thinking: What It Is and Why It Counts. California: The California Academic Press. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/251303244_Critical_Thinking_What_It_Is_and_Why_It_Counts
Facione, Peter A., 1990, Critical Thinking: A Statement of Expert Consensus for Purposes of Educational Assessment and Instruction, Research Findings and Recommendations Prepared for the Committee on Pre-College Philosophy of the American Philosophical Association, ERIC Document ED315423. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED315423.pdf
Fitriyadi, N., & Wuryandani, W. (2021). Is educational game effective in improving critical thinking skills?. Jurnal Prima Edukasia, 9(1), 107-117. doi:https://doi.org/10.21831/jpe.v9i1.35475 https://www.researchgate.net/publication/348413548_Is_educational_game_effective_in_improving_critical_thinking_skills
Florea, N.M., & Hurjui, E. “Critical Thinking in Elementary School Children.” Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, vol. 180, May 2015, pp. 565–72. DOI.org (Crossref), https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2015.02.161. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1877042815015074
Hasnah, Y., Ginting, P., Supiatman, L., Kharisma, A. J., & Siahaan, H. S. (2024). How do locally produced EFL textbooks endorse critical thinking skills in Indonesia? A content analysis. Journal of Language Teaching and Research, 15(1), 190-200. https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Pirman-Ginting/publication/377071968_How_Do_Locally_Produced_EFL_Textbooks_Endorse_Critical_Thinking_Skills_in_Indonesia_A_Content_Analysis/links/6695bb73cb7fbf12a455bbe9/How-Do-Locally-Produced-EFL-Textbooks-Endorse-Critical-Thinking-Skills-in-Indonesia-A-Content-Analysis.pdf
Hikmayana, D. (2025). Developing Critical Thinking Skills among Young Learners through Innovative Learning Models. International Journal of Multidisciplinary Research and Innovation, 1(1), 50-62. https://doi.org/10.64084/ijmri.v1i1.48
Leggett, N. (2023). Creative and critical thinking in early childhood. In Integrated education and learning (pp. 109-127). Cham: Springer International Publishing.
Mao, W., Cui, Y., Chiu, M. M., & Lei, H. (2022). Effects of game-based learning on students’ critical thinking: A meta-analysis. Journal of Educational Computing Research, 59(8), 1682-1708. https://doi.org/10.1177/07356331211007098
Ninković, S. O., Adamov, J., & Rakita, A. (2025). DETERMINANTS OF STUDENTS'CRITICAL THINKING SKILLS. Krugovi detinjstva-časopis za multidisciplinarna istraživanja detinjstva, 13(1), 18-27. https://doi.org/10.53406/kd.v13i1.117
Piaget, J. (1953) The Origin of Intelligence in the Child. Routledge & Kegan Paul Ltd, .International Library of Psychology, Philosophy, and Scientific Method.
Prameswari, Salvina Wahyu, et al. “INCULCATE CRITICAL THINKING SKILLS IN PRIMARY SCHOOLS.” Social, Humanities, and Educational Studies (SHEs): Conference Series, vol. 1, no. 1, Nov. 2018. DOI.org (Crossref), https://doi.org/10.20961/shes.v1i1.23648
Raj, T., Chauhan, P.K., Mehrotra, R., & Sharma, M. (2022). Importance of Critical Thinking in the Education. World Journal of English Language. https://doi.org/10.5430/wjel.v12n3p126
Saputra, A. (2021). Game-based English learning for young learners: A systematic review. JEdu: Journal of English Education. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1201249
Vygotskij, L.S., & Cole, M. (1981). Mind in Society: The Development of Higher Psychological Processes. Harvard Univ. Press.
Yulian, R. (2021). The flipped classroom: Improving critical thinking for critical reading of EFL learners in higher education. Studies in English Language and Education, 8(2), 508-522. https://doi.org/10.24815/siele.v8i2.18366
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Katrin Pepita, Sri Setyarini
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:
- Copyright on any article is retained by the author(s).
- The author grants the journal, the right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgment of the work’s authorship and initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal’s published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgment of its initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work.
- The article and any associated published material is distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License
How to Cite
Article template
