Research on Educational Sport

The Effect of Gamification on Students’ Sporting Capital in Health-Promoting Schools

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

Mehrangiz Peyvastegar 1
Ghazal Divandari 1
Amir Rahimi 2

1 Department of Psychology, Faculty of Education and Psychology, Alzahra University, Tehran, Iran

2 Department of Sports Management, Faculty of Sport Sciences and Health, University of Tehran, Iran

https://doi.org/10.22089/res.2025.18201.2666
Abstract
Physical inactivity among adolescents is a pressing concern for both public health and educational systems, often leading to negative outcomes such as obesity, poor physical self-concept, and reduced social engagement. Health-Promoting Schools (HPS) offer a comprehensive framework to encourage active lifestyles through integrated school-based strategies. This quasi-experimental study aimed to investigate the effect of a gamified physical education intervention on students’ sporting capital—a multidimensional construct comprising physiological, psychological, and social components. A total of 244 students (135 girls and 109 boys) from certified HPS schools in Tehran participated in the study, assigned to experimental and control groups. Results from ANCOVA indicated a significant positive effect of the intervention on sporting capital across both genders. Furthermore, perceived parental support significantly moderated the intervention's effectiveness, while the sense of socialization showed a marginal moderating effect. The findings suggest that gamification, when embedded within the HPS framework, can serve as a meaningful pedagogical strategy to foster intrinsic motivation, sporting identity, and social bonding in adolescents, thereby offering a sustainable model for enhancing physical engagement and well-being in school settings.

Keywords

Physical education
Gamification
Sporting capital
HPS
Adolescents
Subjects
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  • Receive Date 24 June 2025
  • Revise Date 11 October 2025
  • Accept Date 08 November 2025

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