Abstract
In the height of 21st century learning, teacher-educators must develop and respond to the demands of equipping modern students with 21st century skills during the learning process. Given that modern students are increasingly exposed to digital technologies, instructors across the globe have to ensure that these students are motivated, encouraged to engage with content and acquire 21st century skills through learning in a supportive and collaborative classroom environment. Online game-based applications can serve as platforms that can be used as part of pedagogic innovation in various educational settings. Game-based applications such as Kahoot! have been increasingly used in education to facilitate meaningful enactment of formative assessment practices. Within the realm of science education, formative assessment is perceived as a practice with pedagogical potential to enhance students’ motivation and engagement during the learning process. Kahoot! is an interactive game-based learning platform which is beneficial for fostering academic achievement and enhancing students’ motivation and engagement in the classroom. This paper examines the role of Kahoot! as a formative assessment tool to enhance students’ conceptual understanding, motivation, engagement and help students to achieve the stipulated learning outcomes during remote teaching and learning in undergraduate Physical Sciences teacher education. The research study adopted a qualitative design and involved 21 purposively selected preservice Physical Sciences teachers at a South African university. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews and the administration of user-generated online quizzes (Kahoot!) with the participants. The findings demonstrated that Kahoot! plays a significant role in enhancing students’ motivation and engagement during remote teaching and learning. Theoretical implications for technology-enhanced teaching and learning are discussed.