LOCAL GAME-BASED ENGLISH LITERACY INSTRUCTION: EXPERIMENTAL EVIDENCE FROM TANZANIAN RURAL PRIMARY SCHOOLS

Abstract

Literacy underachievement remains persistent in low- and middle-income countries, particularly in early-grade English as a Foreign Language instruction. While game-based learning has gained scholarly attention, existing research focuses heavily on digital games, with little is known about culturally grounded, non-digital alternatives. This study addressed this gap from a post-method perspective by advocating for context-sensitive pedagogies rooted in local practices. It examined the effectiveness of two Tanzanian local games: rede and ruka kamba, adapted for structured English literacy activities. Using a quasi-experimental pre-test–post-test design, pupils in the experimental group participated in game-based literacy instruction for five months, while the control group received traditional instruction. Implementation fidelity was assessed to evaluate the quality of the intervention and was found to be high (87.8%). Non-parametric employed in the analysis revealed significantly greater literacy improvements in the experimental groups. The study highlights the potential of culturally responsive pedagogies and offers a potentially replicable model for low-resource classrooms across sub-Saharan Africa.

Keywords: local games, game-based learning, English literacy, primary education, reading, writing

Ethics and Conflict of Interest

As the authors of this article, we have adhered to the ethical guidelines throughout the research process, and there are no conflicts of interest among us. The authors declare that this manuscript is original, has not been published or submitted elsewhere, and that all authors approved its final version. The research complied with ethical principles and there are no conflicts of interest among the authors.

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