Gamification in Latin American secondary education: Impact on internal efficiency, challenges, and opportunities for improvement

This article conducts a systematic review to explore documented experiences on the implementation of gamification in secondary education in Latin America. The objective is to identify common patterns, challenges, and opportunities in its application, as well as to evaluate its impact on internal efficiency indicators such as motivation, school retention, and academic performance. The review was based on studies published between 2019 and 2024, extracted from databases such as SciELO, Scopus, and Web of Science. The results show that gamification increases motivation and academic performance in urban contexts, but faces significant technological and teacher training barriers in rural areas. It is also observed that gamification is more effective in technical disciplines such as science and mathematics, while in other areas its impact is more variable. The conclusions suggest the need to adapt gamified tools to local cultural and technological contexts, as well as to provide more teacher training. Future studies should focus on long-term impact and how to implement gamification equitably in diverse socioeconomic and cultural contexts.