IMPROVING THE SOFT SKILLS OF TEAMWORK THROUGH GAMIFICATION IN ENGINEERING TEAMS

Mirghafari, Fateme; Salimi, Ghasem; Heidari, Elham; Safavi, Seyed Ali Akbar; Keshavarzi, Fahimeh; Yahaghi, Alireza

doi:10.22047/ijee.2026.573397.2237

IMPROVING THE SOFT SKILLS OF TEAMWORK THROUGH GAMIFICATION IN ENGINEERING TEAMS

Document Type : Scientific - Research

Authors

Fateme Mirghafari ¹

Ghasem Salimi ²

Elham Heidari ³

Seyed Ali Akbar Safavi ⁴

Fahimeh Keshavarzi ⁵

Alireza Yahaghi ⁶

¹ 1) PhD in Educational Management, Department of Administration and Educational Planning, Faculty of Educational Sciences and Psychology, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran.

² 2) Associate Professor, Department of Administration and Educational Planning, Faculty of Educational Sciences and Psychology, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran.

³ 3) Associate Professor, Department of Administration and Educational Planning, Faculty of Educational Sciences and Psychology, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran.

⁴ Professor, Department of Power and Control Engineering, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran,

⁵ Associate Professor, Department of Administration and Educational Planning, Faculty of Educational Sciences and Psychology, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran.

⁶ 6) Professor, Department of Telecommunications and Electronics Engineering, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran,

10.22047/ijee.2026.573397.2237

Abstract

The present study aimed to improve the quality of the soft skill of teamwork through gamification in engineering teams at Shiraz University. The research employed a quantitative approach with a quasi-experimental design (post-test with a control group) and was conducted with 38 engineering students (18 in the experimental group and 20 in the control group) who were randomly assigned to the groups. The intervention consisted of 12 instructional sessions in which ten soft skills were delivered through gamified readiness assurance tests for the experimental group and non-gamified tests for the control group. The results of the independent t-test revealed a statistically significant difference in the level of teamwork between the experimental and control groups in favor of the experimental group. The innovative contribution of this study lies in the localized design of the PBL (Points, Badges, and Leaderboards) model within a specialized engineering context and the use of a counterbalanced teaching structure to neutralize potential instructor effects. Unlike traditional approaches, this study integrated digital platforms (Kahoot) with authentic engineering scenarios, shifting the focus from test outcomes to the learning process while enabling real-time monitoring and reinforcement of team dynamics. The findings suggest that educational policymakers seeking to enhance graduate employability may benefit from adopting this hybrid model combining digital gamification and team-based learning to strengthen soft competencies alongside technical education.

Keywords

Gamification

teamwork skills

engineering soft skills

engineering education

employability

20.1001.1.16072316.1405.28.110.1.8

Subjects

Interdisciplinary Education in Engineering

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