Author Information
Olga Kissová, University of Zilina, SlovakiaIvana Mičínová, Pan-European University, Czech Republic
Abstract
This mixed-methods research explores how AI-supported, gamified soft skills training influences psychological well-being, learner motivation, and autonomy in tertiary English for Specific Purposes (ESP) instruction based on the 21st century need. The 13-week intervention, implemented with 60 undergraduate Economics students at the University of Žilina, Slovakia, was theoretically grounded in Seligman’s PERMA model and conceptually aligned with the OECD Learning Compass 2030 pillars and the soft skills STEPS approach conceptual framework. This approach develops socio-emotional and metacognitive capacities through student-centred learning, teacher support, energy management, problem-solving, and stress management. Although most ESP studies have traditionally focused on linguistic and subject-specific competence, the purposeful integration of AI-driven tools for soft skills development remains underexplored. Quantitative data were collected using a 25-item Likert-scale questionnaire (pre/post design) and analysed using SPSS (M, SD, Cohen’s d), while qualitative reflections from learner journals were thematically analysed using NVivo. Together, these data sources provided a multifaceted understanding of the affective and metacognitive impact of AI-based learning tools. The results revealed statistically significant improvements in all three domains: psychological well-being (d = 0.89), motivation (d = 0.46), and autonomy (d = 0.27). The findings confirm not only the pedagogical efficacy of AI-enhanced gamified learning but also its capacity to foster emotional stability, deeper engagement, and greater learner agency. This study contributes to ESP pedagogy by embedding emotional, cognitive, and metacognitive dimensions into instruction – a practical model for future-ready, holistic language education that supports the needs of digital-native learners moving beyond linguistic competence.
Paper Information
Conference: PCE2026Stream: Foreign Languages Education & Applied Linguistics (including ESL/TESL/TEFL)
This paper is part of the PCE2026 Conference Proceedings (View)
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To cite this article:
Kissová O., & Mičínová I. (2026) ESP for the Digital Age: Mixed-Methods Study on AI-Supported Gamified Soft Skills Training ISSN: 2758-0962 The Paris Conference on Education 2026: Official Conference Proceedings (pp. 217-229) https://doi.org/10.22492/issn.2758-0962.2026.16
To link to this article: https://doi.org/10.22492/issn.2758-0962.2026.16
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