Culture Matters: A Comparative Study of Game-Based Learning in Iran and Singapore

• In Event: Innovations and Equity in Learning: Motivation, Culture, and Technology Across Contexts

Proposal

This paper examines how cultural context influences the use, perception, and educational impact of game-based learning (GBL) by comparing two sharply contrasting national cases: Iran and Singapore. While educational technologies such as video games have been widely discussed in global research, there is limited understanding of how sociocultural and policy environments shape the adoption and efficacy of GBL practices. This study addresses that gap through a comparative analysis grounded in constructivist and sociocultural learning theories.

The research draws on a case study approach. For Singapore, the study investigates the integration of eSports and video game-based curriculum at XCL World Academy, highlighting how institutional support and national policy have legitimized GBL as a pedagogical tool. In contrast, the Iranian case relies on secondary data to examine cultural, religious, and regulatory constraints that hinder the adoption of video games in education. Together, the cases demonstrate that while GBL can enhance collaboration, critical thinking, and student engagement, its implementation is deeply shaped by local cultural norms, educational ideologies, and access to digital infrastructure.

Findings indicate that in Singapore, GBL is not only accepted but encouraged as part of 21st-century skill development. In contrast, in Iran, video games remain culturally stigmatized, often seen as distractions rather than learning tools. These differences reflect broader sociopolitical dynamics and reveal how the same educational technology can produce vastly different outcomes across contexts.

This study contributes to the field of comparative and international education by centering culture as a critical factor in technological implementation. It also offers implications for educators and policymakers seeking to design culturally responsive digital learning environments. In advocating for context-specific educational technology policies, the paper calls for more nuanced, culturally informed approaches to GBL that go beyond universalistic models.

This research is especially relevant for scholars interested in cross-cultural educational technology, critical digital pedagogy, and the politics of innovation in education. It encourages reflection on whose norms and values shape the global discourse on ed-tech and how we might better align technological tools with the lived realities of learners in diverse settings.

Author

• Qinyang Liu, Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE), University of Toronto