Characteristics and didactical foundations of a game-based learning approach for chemistry teaching

Use of game-based approaches in the context of learning a well-documented topic
among scholars and educational researchers (Mayer, 2014; Plass et al., 2015, 2020). However, an investigation of the available literature revealed that chemistry appears to be a discipline that is less interested in developing such tools for classrooms. This field also frequently shows confusion between different types of game-based approaches. Among the available body of literature, only two meta-analyses have been found (Hu et al., 2022; Xu et al., 2025), which investigate the impact of games on cognitive, motivational, or emotional outcomes in chemistry, without investigating the didactical components behind these games. Considering this situation, clarifying game-based approaches is essential to differentiating between types of games. Analogic or digital game-based learning (GBL) approach is considered, as it has the potential, compared to other game-based approaches, to develop skills not only related to chemistry (Elmali et al., 2026). Investigation of the theoretical foundation underlying gamebased learning in chemistry also revealed that, although common pedagogical models are used by game creators, specific didactic models related to chemistry, such as the chemistry triplet (Johnstone, 1991; Taber, 2013; Talanquer, 2011), are not generally considered during development. This raises the question of the theoretical foundations of such games and the existence of guidelines to develop effective and well-designed GBL practices, in light of these didactical models.