Unhappiness and Demotivation Among Students in Gamified Tutoring Systems: Toward Understanding the Gender Gap

In an experimental study, we observed that male-stereotyped elements, such as avatars and trophies, positively impacted men’s self-efficacy using gamified tutoring systems based on artificial intelligence. Regardless of gender stereotypes, men achieved higher flow state scores than women when using these systems. Thus, we conducted a qualitative study involving Brazilian high school students to understand these effects. Our findings revealed that male students experience increased self-efficacy when game elements align with their gender, making them feel more challenged and personally connected to the system. Considering the emotional aspects of dejection, agitation, cheerfulness, and quiescence, women displayed slightly higher levels of cheerfulness in neutral and female-stereotyped environments. Moreover, student motivation varied when using a gamified platform, and there were differences in the prevention motivation within the male-stereotyped and neutral environments. These findings are relevant because they can be used to develop recommendations and guidelines for creating gamified intelligent tutoring systems that promote gender equity.