Abstract
Gamification has emerged as a powerful pedagogical tool in education in recent years, with a significant focus on its impact on student motivation and learning outcomes. Nevertheless, the importance of gamification in the professional development of teachers is a promising but under-researched field. The given review study summarises the available literature on the topic of game-based approaches and discusses the possibility of applying them to teachers as learners in the framework of contemporary professional development. Based on empirical studies in the education sector, corporate training, and higher education, the paper identifies the role of gamification features like badges, leaderboards, point systems, quests, and simulations in improving teacher engagement, collaboration, and reflective practice. The review also examines the indirect evidence presented by student-oriented studies of gamification and extrapolates to its implications on professional development, upskilling, and long-term motivation in educators. The results indicate that although the use of gamification in teacher learning remains in its early phase of development, it can potentially change the way in which the process of professional development is perceived as a compliance-based rather than an interactive, engaging, and long-term process. The paper will end by establishing gaps in the existing research and suggesting areas of future interest in utilising gamification in the development of contemporary teaching practices.
keywords: gamification, teacher professional development, game-based learning, modern teaching practices, educator engagement
