The Effect of Game-Based Learning on Kinesiophobia

NCT07334899 | Completed

• 1 other identifier: NEU-PT2025-06
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 94
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 2

Brief Summary

Aim: The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of innovative teaching methods applied in the "Physiotherapy and Innovation" course conducted during the 2024-2025 spring semester on physiotherapy students' learning experiences, and to describe the process of developing and exhibiting student-designed materials at the end of the course. Method: The study was carried out with 45 third-year students enrolled in the Department of Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation at Necmettin Erbakan University, Faculty of Health Sciences. The course was enriched with project-based learning, group brainstorming sessions, prototype development, presentations, and feedback meetings in line with innovative teaching principles. At the end of the semester, students designed prototypes of innovative tools, exercise materials, or educational aids applicable in the field of physiotherapy. The developed materials were presented at the "Innovative Physiotherapy Materials Exhibition" organized within the university.

Conditions

Learning

Keywords

Physiotherapy; Education; learning style; game-based education; Attitude toward profession

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (2)

• The Attitudes Toward the Physiotherapy Profession Scale

  The Attitudes Toward the Physiotherapy Profession Scale, developed by Turhan in 2018, is a 35-item, five-point Likert-type instrument. Thirty-three items are scored from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree), while two items (items 26 and 30) are reverse scored. Total scores range from 35 to 175, with higher scores indicating more positive attitudes toward the physiotherapy profession. The scale consists of three subscales: professional satisfaction, required professional qualifications, and general professional concerns. The Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin measure of sampling adequacy was 0.833, and Bartlett's test of sphericity was significant (χ² = 10058.592, p \< 0.001). The overall Cronbach's alpha coefficient was 0.977, with subscale alpha values of 0.966, 0.974, and 0.957, respectively. Pearson correlation coefficients were 0.96, 0.91, and 0.90 for the subscales and 0.92 for the total scale (p \< 0.001).\*\*

  From enrollment to the end of the 14-week training period

• The Learning Styles Scale for Health Sciences Students (LS-HSS)

  was developed by Assoc. Prof. Mustafa Otrar and Elveda Kuyucak. Following expert review, the scale initially consisted of 70 items and underwent validity and reliability analyses. After item reduction procedures, 34 items were excluded due to low correlations with the intended constructs or cross-loadings on multiple factors, resulting in a final version of 36 items. The scale is a self-report, five-point Likert-type instrument. Due to the absence of another learning styles scale specifically developed for health sciences students, convergent validity could not be assessed. To enhance the generalizability of the findings, future studies are recommended to replicate the scale using larger and more diverse samples and to support quantitative results with qualitative research. Written permission for the use of the scale was obtained.

  From enrollment to the end of treatment at 14 weeks

Study Arms (2)

Education group

EXPERIMENTAL

Participants in the education group received a 14-week structured training program based on game-based learning focused on approaching patients with kinesiophobia, in addition to their standard physiotherapy curriculum. The training was delivered face-to-face and included interactive and scenario-based educational activities designed to improve students' knowledge, awareness, and clinical attitudes toward patients with kinesiophobia.

Other: Game-Based Learning Training on Approaching Patients With Kinesiophobia

Control group

EXPERIMENTAL

Participants in the control group continued with the standard physiotherapy curriculum for 14 weeks and did not receive any additional training related to game-based learning or approaching patients with kinesiophobia during the study period.

Other: Routine Physiotherapy Education

Interventions

Game-Based Learning Training on Approaching Patients With Kinesiophobia OTHER

The intervention consisted of a structured game-based learning training program designed to improve physiotherapy students' approach to patients with kinesiophobia. Each training session lasted approximately 60-90 minutes and was delivered face-to-face by the responsible researcher. The training included four main components: (1) a brief theoretical lecture (15-20 minutes) covering kinesiophobia, pain psychology, and patient management; (2) case-based learning (20-30 minutes) involving analysis of fictional clinical scenarios; (3) game-based and interactive activities (20-30 minutes) focused on the management of kinesiophobia; and (4) group work and discussion (15-20 minutes), during which students collaboratively solved problems and discussed scenarios tailored to varying levels of patients' psychological and physical status. Gamified quizzes were integrated into the training using an escape room format developed via the Genially platform. Students progressed through the activity by

Education group

Routine Physiotherapy Education OTHER

Participants in the control group continued their standard physiotherapy curriculum for the same study period. No additional training, game-based learning activities, case simulations, or kinesiophobia-specific educational content were provided during the intervention period.

Control group

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years - 40 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64)

You may qualify if:

• Being a physiotherapy and rehabilitation student
• Volunteering to participate in the study
• For the education group, volunteering to participate in the game-based learning training on approaching patients with kinesiophobia

You may not qualify if:

• Inability to understand, read, or communicate in Turkish
• Failure to participate in any stage of the study (e.g., pre-test, in-class education session, or post-test)
• Requesting withdrawal from the study

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Necmettin Erbakan University: lead

Study Sites (2)

Necmettin Erbakan University

Konya, Konya, 40336, Turkey (Türkiye)

Location

Nezahat Keleşoğlu Faculty of Health Sciences

Konya, Konya, 40336, Turkey (Türkiye)

Location

Related Publications (1)

• Koivisto JM, Haavisto E, Niemi H, Haho P, Nylund S, Multisilta J. Design principles for simulation games for learning clinical reasoning: A design-based research approach. Nurse Educ Today. 2018 Jan;60:114-120. doi: 10.1016/j.nedt.2017.10.002. Epub 2017 Oct 24.

  PMID: 29096383 BACKGROUND

Related Links

• Related Info

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: SINGLE
• Who Masked: OUTCOMES ASSESSOR
• Masking Details: The outcome assessor was blinded to group allocation to minimize assessment bias. The assessor had no involvement in the intervention process and was unaware of whether participants belonged to the study or control group.
• Purpose: OTHER
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Assist Prof.

Model Details: This study used a parallel-group interventional model in which participants were randomly allocated to a study group receiving game-based learning training on approaching patients with kinesiophobia alongside the standard curriculum, or to a control group receiving the standard curriculum only for 14 weeks.

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: December 31, 2025
• First Posted: January 12, 2026
• Study Start: February 1, 2025
• Primary Completion: February 1, 2025
• Study Completion: May 1, 2025
• Last Updated: January 12, 2026

Record last verified: 2025-12

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

TU (2)