Neuroeducational gamification as a strategy to enhance emotional self-regulation and creative thinking in early childhood education

Abstract

This research investigates the impact of neuroeducational gamification as a strategy to enhance emotional self-regulation and creative thinking in early childhood education, integrating these processes with complex problem-solving and the systemic transformation of education. Predominantly adopting a qualitative mixed-methods approach, a quasi-experimental design was applied with control and experimental groups of children aged 4 to 6 in urban educational institutions. The intervention lasted eight weeks and employed structured recreational activities within gamified environments using interactive digital technology, integrated with neuroeducational techniques involving multisensory stimulation, adaptive reinforcement, collaborative learning, and game design. The findings indicate a remarkable improvement in emotional self-regulation, as evidenced by children’s ability to recognize, express, and manage emotions during learning activities, as well as an increase in fluency, originality, and flexibility of creative thinking. Furthermore, neuroeducational gamification activities encouraged children to engage with complex problems by exploring multiple solutions, exercising collaborative decision-making, and devising creative outcomes. The enhancement in children’s emotional self-regulation also positively influenced the development of more inclusive, cooperative, and meaningful collaborative structures driven by classroom learning. In conclusion, gamified teaching aligned with neuroeducation emerges as a powerful technique for fostering cognitive, affective, and social skills during early education. At the same time, it initiates the development of a deeper transformation that goes beyond traditional education, reorienting teaching toward more flexible, integrative, and learner-centered practices.