Abstract

This study discovers the outcome of an interactive digital, game-based learning model on the engagement levels of Grade 1 students aged 6 to 7 years in online physical education classes at CBSE affiliated private international school in Qatar. A quasi-experimental design was applied with two sessions: one involving traditional online exercise instruction and another using YouTube-based interactive video games. A total of 50 students (25 boys and 25 girls) participated in a within-subjects design, viewing both types of online exercise lessons and rating their engagement on a 5-point Likert scale. Paired-sample t-test results indicated that game-based videos (M = 3.84, SD = 0.87) received significantly higher engagement ratings than traditional demonstrations (M = 2.99, SD = 0.78), t(49) = 13.51, p < .001, Cohen’s d = 1.91. Gender analyses showed no significant difference in engagement improvements between boys and girls. These findings suggest that gamification strategies effectively increase engagement in online physical education learning environments.