Kahoot, Learning Motivation, and Academic Achievement: A Systematic Review for Indonesian Madrasah

Muhammad Dede Alkautsar; Yogi Irdes Putra; Fauziah

doi:10.61987/educazione.v3i2.3073

Authors

Muhammad Dede Alkautsar Universitas Muhammadiyah Muara Bungo, Indonesia
Yogi Irdes Putra Universitas Muhammadiyah Muara Bungo, Indonesia
Fauziah Universitas Muhammadiyah Muara Bungo, Indonesia

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.61987/educazione.v3i2.3073

Keywords:

Kahoot, Game-Based Learning, Learning Motivation, Learning Outcomes, Systematic Literature Review

Abstract

Game-based learning platforms have been adopted rapidly across Indonesian classrooms, yet evidence on their contribution to measured academic achievement remains scattered. This study synthesises recent empirical evidence on the relationship between Kahoot-mediated instruction, learning motivation, and student learning outcomes. A systematic literature review was conducted following the PRISMA 2020 protocol, drawing on Scopus, ERIC, DOAJ, Garuda, and Google Scholar for studies published between 2020 and 2026. Of 439 records identified, thirty empirical studies satisfied the eligibility criteria and were appraised for methodological quality before thematic synthesis. Kahoot-mediated instruction was associated with positive achievement outcomes across primary, secondary, and tertiary settings, although reported effect magnitudes varied considerably between contexts. Learning motivation emerged as both an outcome of gamified instruction and a mechanism through which platform affordances translate into cognitive gains, yet formal mediation testing appeared in only three studies. Reported associations were moderated by instructional integration, subject domain, exposure duration, teacher readiness, and infrastructural access rather than by the technology itself. The synthesis yielded the Gamified Engagement–Motivation–Achievement framework, which positions motivation as the mediating pathway linking platform features to learning outcomes.

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