The Future of Education

This study examines the impact of a Gen-AI-enabled gamification approach on student motivation, engagement, and learning outcomes in both theoretical and practical skills learning within Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET). Grounded in Self-Determination Theory (SDT), a four-month quasi-experimental study was conducted at the Institute of Technical Education (ITE), Singapore, involving 221 students. The study employed two parallel experimentations: one on business communication theory learning and another on practical life skills acquisition, with students divided into experimental and control groups. Findings reveal that students exposed to the Gen-AI-enabled gamified approach demonstrated significantly higher motivation and engagement in both theoretical and practical contexts. From a learning outcomes perspective, the experimental group outperformed the control group, achieving an 18.7% higher average score in practical skills tests (71.2 ± 18.7 vs. 60 ± 20, p < 0.01) and a 44.2% higher score in theoretical modules (62 ± 12 vs. 43 ± 11, p < 0.01). Critical analysis of the results highlights that AI-driven personalized learning and gamified incentives effectively sustain intrinsic motivation and adaptive engagement, particularly in repetitive tasks. While social gamification elements enhanced collaborative learning in both theoretical and practical contexts, their impact on relatedness was less pronounced, indicating opportunities for further refinement. Additionally, no significant differences were found across genders or learning styles, suggesting that the intervention benefits diverse learners equally. These findings underscore the potential of AI-powered gamification to enhance both conceptual understanding and hands-on skill acquisition, providing a scalable and adaptable pedagogical model for TVET education.