Collaborative Writing for English Vocabulary Acquisition Through Digital Tools and Gamification in Teacher Education Program

Resumen

English vocabulary acquisition represented a major challenge in Ecuadorian higher education, particularly in teacher education programs, where limited language proficiency affected both academic performance and pedagogical preparation. This study examined the impact of collaborative writing on basic English vocabulary acquisition among first-semester students enrolled in the National and Foreign Language Pedagogy program at the Technical State University of Quevedo. The research aimed to design an evidence-based pedagogical proposal integrating collaborative writing, digital tools, and gamification to address identified lexical gaps. A mixed-methods approach with a descriptive, exploratory, non-experimental, and cross-sectional design was employed with forty purposively selected participants. Data were collected through a validated diagnostic vocabulary test, a structured rating-scale survey, classroom observations, and a semi-structured teacher interview. The results revealed differences between receptive vocabulary knowledge and productive language use, as well as limited implementation of collaborative learning despite students' positive attitudes toward this methodology. It was concluded that collaborative writing, combined with technology and gamification, improved vocabulary retention, productive language use, and pedagogical preparation.