Perceptions of EFL teachers toward gamification and its relationship with their teaching styles

In recent years, there has been a notable increase in research on cyber incivility and its effects, which encompass low-intensity deviant online behavior leading to psychological distress, reduced work satisfaction, and decreased organizational commitment among individuals and organizations. This study aims to address the gap in research regarding the influence of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teachers' teaching styles on their perceptions and attitudes towards integrating gamification in their classrooms. The study adopts a quantitative research approach and involves a questionnaire survey with 380 EFL teachers from private and public schools in Istanbul, Turkey. The findings indicate that EFL teachers generally hold positive perceptions towards gamification in their teaching. The analysis reveals that a significant proportion of teachers agree that gamification enhances motivation, engagement, recognition, and learning outcomes in EFL classrooms. Notably, male teachers and those with higher educational degrees, particularly PhD holders, tend to perceive higher motivation, engagement, recognition, and learning outcomes compared to their counterparts. Additionally, teaching experience is positively associated with teachers' perceptions of gamification. The study also examines EFL teachers' perceptions of different teaching styles. The expert teaching style receives diverse opinions, while the formal authority teaching style shows varying levels of influence. The personal model teaching style receives generally positive responses, although with some variations. The facilitator teaching style elicits mixed responses, and the delegator teaching style is generally well-received. The study emphasizes the need for further exploration and understanding of these teaching approaches in the context of EFL education. Keywords: EFL, Teachers' Perceptions, Gamification, Gaming Elements, Teaching Styles