Game Creation as a Pedagogical Model for SDG Education
A Project‐Based Approach in Vocational Learning
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 21445985 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Yingji Li (0000-0002-3502-9423, School of Culture and Creativity (School of Entrepreneurship) Zhejiang Technical Institute of Economics Hangzhou Zhejiang China), Jingyi Wang (0000-0002-3036-5006, School of Digital Media Shenzhen Polytechnic University Shenzhen China, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2025 |
| Volume | 60 |
| Issue | 4 |
| Publication date | 2025-12-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | European Journal of Education (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0141-8211 • E-ISSN: 1465-3435 |
| Publisher | Wiley (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1111/ejed.70333 |
| OpenAlex | W4416589938 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 1 |
| References cited | 31 |
This study examines how student‐led game creation can serve as a transformative pedagogical model for integrating the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) into vocational education. Drawing on a semester‐long, project‐based course in a Chinese vocational university, the research investigates how designing educational games shaped students' creativity, collaboration, critical thinking, global awareness, and digital agency. Adopting a qualitative case study approach, we analysed reflection journals, project artifacts, peer evaluations, and group interviews through thematic analysis. Findings show that the process of designing games—rather than consuming them—enabled students to engage deeply with complex sustainability issues, negotiate ethical tensions, and develop systems thinking. Students shifted from passive learners to active creators, expressing a sense of authorship, civic responsibility, and collaborative ownership. The digital learning platform played a critical role in scaffolding this transition by facilitating reflection, co‐creation, and iterative feedback. We argue that game creation, when situated within a structured, SDG‐focused design task, fosters transversal competencies central to 21st‐century vocational learning. The study contributes to emerging debates on design‐based pedagogy, global competence, and transformative education in applied learning contexts
Design-based research · Negotiation · Process (computing) · Qualitative research · Situated · Situated learning · Structuring · Sustainability · Transformative learning · Vocational education · Adult and Continuing Education Topics · Educational Leadership and Innovation · Sustainability in Higher Education
An OECD Learning Framework 2030
Designing and integrating purposeful learning in game play
Exploring the interconnected nature of the sustainable development goals
Integrating the United Nations sustainable development goals into higher education globally
Examining the Effects of Immersive Game-Based Learning on Student Engagement and the Development of Collaboration, Communication, Creativity and Critical Thinking
Using thematic analysis in psychology
Exploring the Impact of Project-Based Learning on Sustainable Development Goals Awareness and University Students' Growth
| Unique citing works | 1 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 1 |
| Citation span | 2026 - 2026 (1) |
| Citation velocity | current |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 1 |