{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,10]],"date-time":"2026-07-10T06:16:30Z","timestamp":1783664190029,"version":"3.55.0"},"reference-count":69,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,10]],"date-time":"2026-07-10T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1783641600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Psychol."],"abstract":"<jats:p>The integration of digital tools in teaching remains a challenge for many educators, often due to resistance to change and limited training. Drawing on Self-Determination Theory, as proposed by Deci and Ryan, and Cognitive Load Theory, developed by Sweller, this exploratory study examines student motivation and engagement in a gamified learning environment. Specifically, it explores students' perceptions of the use of Kahoot! in the classroom and the extent to which the tool may add value to the teaching and learning process. The study involved 20 fourth-grade students and their class teacher from a public school cluster in the Central region of Portugal. Data were collected through a student questionnaire, a semi-structured teacher interview, and audiovisual recording of the classroom session. Descriptive findings suggest that students perceived Kahoot! positively, particularly in terms of enjoyment, engagement, perceived usefulness, and peer interaction, while the teacher highlighted its usefulness for real-time formative assessment. However, technical constraints and connectivity problems limited implementation. Given the exploratory design, small convenience sample, dichotomous items, and absence of validated psychometric measures and a control group, the findings do not support causal inference. The study therefore contributes context-specific evidence and points to the need for future research using experimental designs and validated instruments.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3389\/fpsyg.2026.1881419","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,10]],"date-time":"2026-07-10T05:39:19Z","timestamp":1783661959000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Measuring student perceptions of motivation and engagement with Kahoot!: a case study in primary education in Portugal"],"prefix":"10.3389","volume":"17","author":[{"given":"Raquel","family":"Lopes","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Piaget Research Center for Ecological Human Development, Jean Piaget Higher School of Education of Almada","place":["Almada, Portugal"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Ana","family":"Baptista","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Special Education, School Grouping of Aveiro","place":["Aveiro, Portugal"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Sergii","family":"Tukaiev","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Higher Institute of Science Education and Technology, USI Universit\u00e0 della Svizzera Italiana","place":["Lugano, Switzerland"]},{"name":"Kyiv National University (KNU), Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv","place":["Kyiv, Ukraine"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Vaitsa","family":"Giannouli","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Psychology, Democritus University of Thrace","place":["Didymoteicho, Greece"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Jo\u00e3o Alves","family":"Ferreira","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, University of Coimbra","place":["Coimbra, Portugal"]},{"name":"Coimbra Institute for Clinical and Biomedical Research (iCBR), Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra","place":["Coimbra, Portugal"]},{"name":"Center for Innovative Biomedicine and Bio-Technology (CIBB), University of Coimbra","place":["Coimbra, Portugal"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1965","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,10]]},"reference":[{"key":"B1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"4","DOI":"10.25757\/invep.v8i1.124","article-title":"Tecnologias digitais em sala de aula: o professor e a reconfigura\u00e7\u00e3o do processo educativo","volume":"8","author":"Almeida","year":"2018","journal-title":"Da Investiga\u00e7\u00e3o \u00e0s Pr\u00e1ticas"},{"key":"B2","volume-title":"Construir a autonomia e a flexibiliza\u00e7\u00e3o curricular: os desafios da escola e dos professores","author":"Alves","year":"2017"},{"key":"B3","volume-title":"A predisposi\u00e7\u00e3o dos professores para a transi\u00e7\u00e3o digital","author":"Azevedo","year":"2023"},{"key":"B4","author":"Bacich","year":"2015","journal-title":"Ensino H\u00edbrido: Personaliza\u00e7\u00e3o e Tecnologia na Educa\u00e7\u00e3o"},{"key":"B5","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"743","DOI":"10.1016\/j.edurev.2020.100322","article-title":"Does gamification improve student learning outcome? evidence from a meta-analysis and synthesis of qualitative data in educational contexts","volume":"51","author":"Bai","year":"2020","journal-title":"Brit. 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