AI Game-Based Learning in Low-Resource Classrooms: Teachers’ Innovation Under Constraint
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.70152/duties.v2i1.317Keywords:
AI in Education, game-based learning, low-resource classrooms, teacher agency, teacher innovationArticle Metrics
Abstract
Abstract: The integration of artificial intelligence into game-based learning has been widely promoted as a means of enhancing engagement and personalization in education. However, existing research largely assumes well-resourced classroom conditions, offering limited insight into how such approaches are enacted in constrained contexts. This qualitative multiple case study explores how teachers design and implement AI-supported game-based learning in low-resource classrooms and how contextual constraints shape their pedagogical reasoning and innovative practices. Drawing on interviews, classroom observations, teaching artifacts, and stimulated recall, the study foregrounds teachers’ agency in mediating AI use under conditions of limited infrastructure, device access, and institutional support. The findings reveal that teachers adopt selective and hybrid approaches to AI game-based learning, combining AI-generated content with offline activities and teacher-led scaffolding. Contextual constraints function not merely as barriers but as catalysts for reflection, improvisation, and ethical decision-making related to fairness and inclusivity. This study contributes to AI in education research by reframing innovation as a situated, teacher-driven process and by highlighting the importance of context-sensitive approaches to AI-supported pedagogies, particularly in underrepresented low-resource educational settings.
References
Akram, H., Abdelrady, A. H., Al-Adwan, A. S., & Ramzan, M. (2022). Teachers’ Perceptions of Technology Integration in Teaching-Learning Practices: A Systematic Review. Frontiers in Psychology, 13(June), 1–9. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.920317
Al Qur’an, M. N. (2025). Conducting case study research in international entrepreneurship: A protocol for qualitative case study. International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 24. https://doi.org/10.1177/16094069251394934
Alcaraz‐Valencia, P. A., Santana‐Mancilla, P. C., & Gaytán‐Lugo, L. S. (2025). BattleInTheSky: A low‐cost gamified expert system for explainable artificial intelligence education. Computer Applications in Engineering Education, 33(6). https://doi.org/10.1002/cae.70115
AlTwijri, L., & Abdelhalim, S. M. (2026). Enhancing reading engagement in adult EFL classrooms through AI-supported instruction: A mixed-methods study. System, 136, 103906. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.system.2025.103906
Alwaqdani, M. (2025). Investigating teachers’ perceptions of artificial intelligence tools in education: Potential and difficulties. Education and Information Technologies, 30(3), 2737–2755. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-024-12903-9
Andrews, M. E., & Boklage, A. (2024). Supporting inclusivity in STEM makerspaces through critical theory: A systematic review. Journal of Engineering Education, 113(4), 787–817. https://doi.org/10.1002/jee.20546
Bizami, N. A., Tasir, Z., & Kew, S. N. (2023). Innovative pedagogical principles and technological tools capabilities for immersive blended learning: A systematic literature review. Education and Information Technologies, 28(2), 1373–1425. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-022-11243-w
Burner, T., Lindvig, Y., & Wærness, J. I. (2025). “We Should Not Be Like a Dinosaur”—Using AI technologies to provide formative feedback to students. Education Sciences, 15(1), 58. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci15010058
Castro, A., Díaz, B., Aguilera, C., Prat, M., & Chávez-Herting, D. (2025). Identifying rural elementary teachers’ perception challenges and opportunities in integrating artificial intelligence in teaching practices. Sustainability, 17(6), 2748. https://doi.org/10.3390/su17062748
Çelik, F. (2025). The Impact of game‐based metaverse on language learning motivation, anxiety, and vocabulary. International Journal of Applied Linguistics. https://doi.org/10.1111/ijal.12858
Crompton, H., Jones, M. V., & Burke, D. (2024). Affordances and challenges of artificial intelligence in K-12 education: a systematic review. Journal of Research on Technology in Education, 56(3), 248–268. https://doi.org/10.1080/15391523.2022.2121344
Dahalan, F., Alias, N., & Shaharom, M. S. N. (2024). Gamification and game based learning for vocational education and training: A systematic literature review. Education and Information Technologies, 29(2), 1279–1317. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-022-11548-w
Evmenova, A. S., Regan, K., Mergen, R., & Hrisseh, R. (2025). Educational games and the potential of AI to transform writing across the curriculum. Education Sciences, 15(5), 567. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci15050567
Fawns, T. (2022). An entangled pedagogy: Looking beyond the pedagogy—technology dichotomy. Postdigital Science and Education, 4(3), 711–728. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42438-022-00302-7
Filiz, O., Kaya, M. H., & Adiguzel, T. (2025). Teachers and AI: Understanding the factors influencing AI integration in K-12 education. Education and Information Technologies, 30(13), 17931–17967. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-025-13463-2
Frei-Landau, R., Muchnik-Rozanov, Y., & Avidov-Ungar, O. (2022). Using Rogers’ diffusion of innovation theory to conceptualize the mobile-learning adoption process in teacher education in the COVID-19 era. Education and Information Technologies, 27(9), 12811–12838. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-022-11148-8
Garg, N., Kaur, A., Ahmad, F., & Dutta, R. (2025). Augmenting education: The transformative power of AR, AI, and emerging technologies. Human Behavior and Emerging Technologies, 2025(1). https://doi.org/10.1155/hbe2/5681184
Harakchiyska, T. (2025). Predictors of pre-service EFL teachers’ predisposition towards AI adoption in language teaching. Education Sciences, 15(9), 1112. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci15091112
Hare, R., Ferguson, S., & Tang, Y. (2025). Enhancing student experience and learning with iterative design in an intelligent educational game. British Journal of Educational Technology, 56(2), 551–568. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjet.13526
Haugsbakken, H. (2023). Implementation as a constitutive entanglement: Framing sociomaterial pedagogical practices emerging from the implementation of a learning management system. First Monday. https://doi.org/10.5210/fm.v28i10.11718
Hodges, G. W., & Flanagan, K. (2025). Establishing a model for serious science game design for elementary learners: A longitudinal, mixed methods study of serious game design mechanics that facilitate science learning. Science Education. https://doi.org/10.1002/sce.70020
Holmes, W., & Tuomi, I. (2022). State of the art and practice in AI in education. European Journal of Education, 57(4), 542–570. https://doi.org/10.1111/ejed.12533
Jääskä, E., & Aaltonen, K. (2022). Teachers’ experiences of using game-based learning methods in project management higher education. Project Leadership and Society, 3, 100041. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.plas.2022.100041
Jiang, Y., Li, J., & Wang, Q. (2022). An ecological approach to understanding university English teachers’ professional agency in implementing formative assessment. Frontiers in Psychology, 13. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.916980
Kazu, İ. Y., & Kuvvetli, M. (2023). A triangulation method on the effectiveness of digital game-based language learning for vocabulary acquisition. Education and Information Technologies, 28(10), 13541–13567. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-023-11756-y
Khaldi, A., Bouzidi, R., & Nader, F. (2023). Gamification of e-learning in higher education: A systematic literature review. Smart Learning Environments, 10(1), 10. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40561-023-00227-z
Kim, N. J., & Kim, M. K. (2022). Teacher’s Perceptions of Using an Artificial Intelligence-Based Educational Tool for Scientific Writing. Frontiers in Education, 7. https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2022.755914
Klykken, F. H. (2024). The teaching apparatus: A material-discursive entanglement of tasks and friendship in the upper-secondary classroom. Critical Studies in Education, 65(1), 1–19. https://doi.org/10.1080/17508487.2023.2207607
Köhler, T. (2024). Multilevel qualitative research: Insights from practice. European Management Journal, 42(4), 503–514. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.emj.2024.03.011
Kong, S.-C., & Yang, Y. (2024). A human-centered learning and teaching framework using generative artificial intelligence for self-regulated learning development through domain knowledge learning in k–12 settings. IEEE Transactions on Learning Technologies, 17, 1562–1573. https://doi.org/10.1109/TLT.2024.3392830
Kooli, C., Yusuf, N., & Sarhan, M. Y. (2026). Colloquial engagement theory with AI awareness (CET-AIA): A new creative pedagogical framework for ethical assessment in the age of artificial intelligence. Thinking Skills and Creativity, 60, 102051. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tsc.2025.102051
Krystalli, P., & Arvanitis, P. (2024). Serious games and gamification in foreign language learning: Trends and challenges (2015-2024) analyzed through text analysis techniques. European Journal of Education, 7(2), 143–158. https://doi.org/10.26417/gqsf6258
Lampropoulos, G., Keramopoulos, E., Diamantaras, K., & Evangelidis, G. (2023). Integrating augmented reality, gamification, and serious games in computer science education. Education Sciences, 13(6), 618. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci13060618
Lan, M., & Zhou, X. (2025). A qualitative systematic review on AI empowered self-regulated learning in higher education. Npj Science of Learning, 10(1), 21. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41539-025-00319-0
Lee, S. S., & Moore, R. L. (2024). Harnessing Generative AI (GenAI) for automated feedback in higher education: A systematic review. Online Learning, 28(3). https://doi.org/10.24059/olj.v28i3.4593
Li, C.-T., Hou, H.-T., & Lee, L.-H. (2025). Design of a dual-hierarchy scaffolding board game-based learning activity for EFL reading comprehension. Language Teaching Research, 29(6), 2709–2737. https://doi.org/10.1177/13621688221125903
Lufungulo, E. S., Jia, J., Mulubale, S., Mambwe, E., & Mwila, K. (2023). Innovations and strategies during online teaching in an edtech low-resourced university. SN Computer Science, 4(4), 328. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42979-023-01729-w
Medina, J., Huamani, H., Astocondor, C., & Polo, A. (2025). Technologies in the classroom: Catalysts for change and potential obstacles. Education Journal, 14(3), 103–110. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.edu.20251403.13
Mhlongo, S., Mbatha, K., Ramatsetse, B., & Dlamini, R. (2023). Challenges, opportunities, and prospects of adopting and using smart digital technologies in learning environments: An iterative review. Heliyon, 9(6), e16348. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e16348
Mouta, A., Torrecilla-Sánchez, E. M., & Pinto-Llorente, A. M. (2025). Comprehensive professional learning for teacher agency in addressing ethical challenges of AIED: Insights from educational design research. Education and Information Technologies, 30(3), 3343–3387. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-024-12946-y
Murtaza, M., Ahmed, Y., Shamsi, J. A., Sherwani, F., & Usman, M. (2022). AI-based personalized E-learning systems: Issues, challenges, and solutions. IEEE Access, 10, 81323–81342. https://doi.org/10.1109/ACCESS.2022.3193938
Naeem, M., Ozuem, W., Howell, K., & Ranfagni, S. (2023). A step-by-step process of thematic analysis to develop a conceptual model in qualitative research. International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 22. https://doi.org/10.1177/16094069231205789
Naseer, F., Khan, M. N., Addas, A., Awais, Q., & Ayub, N. (2025). Game mechanics and artificial intelligence personalization: A framework for adaptive learning systems. Education Sciences, 15(3), 301. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci15030301
Nazaretsky, T., Ariely, M., Cukurova, M., & Alexandron, G. (2022). Teachers’ trust in AI‐powered educational technology and a professional development program to improve it. British Journal of Educational Technology, 53(4), 914–931. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjet.13232
Nemorin, S., Vlachidis, A., Ayerakwa, H. M., & Andriotis, P. (2023). AI hyped? A horizon scan of discourse on artificial intelligence in education (AIED) and development. Learning, Media and Technology, 48(1), 38–51. https://doi.org/10.1080/17439884.2022.2095568
Ng, D. T. K., Xinyu, C., Leung, J. K. L., & Chu, S. K. W. (2024). Fostering students’ AI literacy development through educational games: AI knowledge, affective and cognitive engagement. Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 40(5), 2049–2064. https://doi.org/10.1111/jcal.13009
Ofem, U. J., Orim, F. S., Edam-Agbor, I. B., Amanso, E. O. I., Eni, E., Ukatu, J. O., Ovat, S. V., Osang, A. W., Dien, C., & Abuo, C. B. (2025). Teachers’ preparedness for the utilization of artificial intelligence in classroom assessment: the contributory effects of attitude toward technology, technological readiness, and pedagogical beliefs with perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness as. Frontiers in Education, 10. https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2025.1568306
Park, K., Mott, B., Lee, S., Gupta, A., Jantaraweragul, K., Glazewski, K., Scribner, J. A., Ottenbreit-Leftwich, A., Hmelo-Silver, C. E., & Lester, J. (2022). Investigating a visual interface for elementary students to formulate AI planning tasks. Journal of Computer Languages, 73, 101157. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cola.2022.101157
Park, Y., & Doo, M. Y. (2024). Role of AI in blended learning: A systematic literature review. The International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning, 25(1), 164–196. https://doi.org/10.19173/irrodl.v25i1.7566
Priyanda, R., Herman, T., Amalia, R., & Ihsan, I. R. (2025). Exploring teachers’ pedagogical reasoning in mathematics education using the TPACK framework. Frontiers in Education, 10. https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2025.1552760
Roohani, A., & Heidari Vincheh, M. (2023). Effect of game-based, social media, and classroom-based instruction on the learning of phrasal verbs. Computer Assisted Language Learning, 36(3), 375–399. https://doi.org/10.1080/09588221.2021.1929325
Rouf, M. A., & Mohamed, A. R. (2022). Secondary school EL teachers’ classroom language proficiency: A case study in Bangladesh. The Qualitative Report. https://doi.org/10.46743/2160-3715/2022.5293
Sayed, W. S., Noeman, A. M., Abdellatif, A., Abdelrazek, M., Badawy, M. G., Hamed, A., & El-Tantawy, S. (2023). AI-based adaptive personalized content presentation and exercises navigation for an effective and engaging E-learning platform. Multimedia Tools and Applications, 82(3), 3303–3333. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11042-022-13076-8
Scott, H., & Smith, M. (2024). Innovation from necessity: Digital technologies, teacher development and reciprocity with organisational innovation. Open Learning: The Journal of Open, Distance and e-Learning, 39(2), 170–187. https://doi.org/10.1080/02680513.2024.2307627
Selwyn, N. (2022). The future of AI and education: Some cautionary notes. European Journal of Education, 57(4), 620–631. https://doi.org/10.1111/ejed.12532
Sepadi, M., Kgaphola, T., & Molapo, K. (2025). Teachers’ understanding of technology usage in rural schools. Frontiers in Education, 10. https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2025.1548457
Sofi, M., Ahmed, K., Bali, O., & Rached, K. (2023). Online education via media platforms and applications as an innovative teaching method. Education and Information Technologies, 507–523. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-022-11188-0
Strielkowski, W., Grebennikova, V., Lisovskiy, A., Rakhimova, G., & Vasileva, T. (2024). AI-driven adaptive learning for sustainable educational transformation. Sustainable Development. https://doi.org/10.1002/sd.3221
Tapalova, O., & Zhiyenbayeva, N. (2022). Artificial intelligence in education: AIEd for personalised learning pathways. Electronic Journal of E-Learning, 20(5), 639–653. https://doi.org/10.34190/ejel.20.5.2597
Topali, P., Ortega-Arranz, A., Rodríguez-Triana, M. J., Er, E., Khalil, M., & Açkapınar, G. (2024). Designing human-centered learning analytics and artificial intelligence in education solutions: a systematic literature review. Behaviour and Information Technology, 1–28. https://doi.org/10.1080/0144929X.2024.2345295
Tromp, C. (2023). Integrated constraints in creativity: Foundations for a unifying model. Review of General Psychology, 27(1), 41–61. https://doi.org/10.1177/10892680211060027
Tromp, C., & Baer, J. (2022). Creativity from constraints: Theory and applications to education. Thinking Skills and Creativity, 46, 101184. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tsc.2022.101184
Villada Castillo, J. F., Bohorquez Santiago, L., & Martínez García, S. (2025). Optimization of physics learning through immersive virtual reality: A study on the efficacy of serious games. Applied Sciences, 15(6), 3405. https://doi.org/10.3390/app15063405
Wagan, A. A., Khan, A. A., Chen, Y.-L., Yee, P. L., Yang, J., & Laghari, A. A. (2023). Artificial intelligence-enabled game-based learning and quality of experience: A novel and secure framework (B-AIQoE). Sustainability, 15(6), 5362. https://doi.org/10.3390/su15065362
Wang, M., Zhang, D., Zhu, J., & Gu, H. (2025). Effects of incorporating a large language model-based adaptive mechanism into contextual games on students’ academic performance, flow experience, cognitive load and behavioral patterns. Journal of Educational Computing Research, 63(3), 662–694. https://doi.org/10.1177/07356331251321719
Webster, J. (2025). Sociotechnical imaginaries in a Postdigital world: Teachers’ perceptions of digital citizenship education. Postdigital Science and Education, 7(3), 770–787. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42438-025-00557-w
Wiklund-Engblom, A., Bergström, P., & Lindfors, M. (2025). Exploring teaching practices in an innovative learning environment: A pragmatic view on the student-centred ideal in future classrooms. Postdigital Science and Education, 7(3), 834–854. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42438-025-00570-z
Williyan, A., Puspitasari, D., Putri, A. R., Rahmawati, Y., Budiyanto, & Muthmainnah. (2025). EFL teachers’ inquisitive agency in AI-enhanced writing instruction. Lecture Notes in Networks and Systems, 1270 LNNS, 277–289. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-96-2015-9_19
Williyan, A., Supriyono, Y., & Dewi, N. S. N. (2025). Deliberative teacher agency: A phenomenological study on ICT integration in writing instruction by Indonesian EFL educators. Pedagogika, 159(3), 5–29. https://doi.org/10.15823/p.2025.159.1
Wu, R., & Yu, Z. (2024). Do AI chatbots improve students learning outcomes? Evidence from a meta‐analysis. British Journal of Educational Technology, 55(1), 10–33. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjet.13334
Xu, Y., Zhu, J., Wang, M., Qian, F., Yang, Y., & Zhang, J. (2024). The impact of a digital game-based AI chatbot on students’ academic performance, higher-order thinking, and behavioral patterns in an information technology curriculum. Applied Sciences, 14(15), 6418. https://doi.org/10.3390/app14156418
Zahra, I., Neo, M., & Hew, S. H. (2025). Level-up learning with CIGLE framework: Enhancing learning through interactive, game-based collaboration for effective problem solving. International Journal of Technology, 16(1), 187. https://doi.org/10.14716/ijtech.v16i1.7143
Zhang, R., Zou, D., & Cheng, G. (2023). Learner engagement in digital game-based vocabulary learning and its effects on EFL vocabulary development. System, 119, 103173. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.system.2023.103173
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Mochamad Rizqi Adhi Pratama, Nur Karmila Maisara
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Copyright for this article is held by the authors under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-SA 4.0). The article may be used, shared, and adapted for any purpose with proper attribution and distribution under the same license. Full license details: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/
