First Advisor

Morse, Alan

First Committee Member

Sung, Yoon Tae

Second Committee Member

Kim, Koo Yul

Third Committee Member

Iyer, Vish

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy

Document Type

Dissertation

Date Created

12-2025

Department

College of Natural and Health Sciences, Kinesiology Nutrition and Dietetics, KiND Student Work

Abstract

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to examine the experiences of sport management faculty in implementing game-based learning and to identify the institutional and instructional challenges they face across Doctoral Research Universities (Research 1 [R1] institutions), Doctoral Research Universities [Research 2 [R2] institutions), Research 3 (Research Colleges and Universities [R3]), and teaching-focused institutions. Guided by the Theory of Gamified Learning and Bloom’s Taxonomy, this research explored how institutional context, faculty workload, and available resources influence the adoption of game-based learning. Using purposive and snowball sampling, 20 sport management faculty members were interviewed, and data were analyzed using thematic analysis to identify common patterns and differences across institutional types. Five themes emerged from the data: (a) Increased Student Engagement, where participants reported that game-based learning increased motivation and participation, especially in upper-level courses; (b) Lack of Funding, with faculty frequently lacking financial resources and, in some cases, paying out of pocket for teaching tools; (c) Professional Development, or Lack Thereof, which highlighted limited training and institutional support; (d) Time Constraints, where heavy teaching loads and competing responsibilities limited game creation and implementation; and (e) Artificial Intelligence (AI) Assistance for Game-Based Learning Processes which revealed that faculty used AI tools to streamline preparation but viewed them only as partial solutions. These findings have significant theoretical and practical implications. They reinforce the value of aligning game-based learning with Bloom’s Taxonomy to promote higher-order learning while demonstrating how institutional barriers limit the broader application of the Theory of Gamified Learning. Practical recommendations for academic administrators include providing access to publisher-developed simulations, creating targeted funding pathways, supporting faculty professional development, and incorporating AI as a supplemental tool. Future research should explore student perspectives on game-based learning and further investigate how emerging technologies can reduce barriers to implementation.

Abstract Format

html

Language

English

Extent

165 pages

Rights Statement

Copyright is held by the author.

Digital Origin

Born digital

Download

Share

COinS