Teaching Vital Signs Through a Scenario-Based Educational Escape Game: A Quasi-Experimental Study

Objective: This study aimed to compare the effects of a scenario-based educational escape room game on students’ motivation, academic self-efficacy, and achievement levels with those of the traditional question-and-answer method. Educational escape games have recently emerged as an innovative and engaging teaching strategy across disciplines, including health education. However, empirical evidence on their effectiveness remains limited. Methods: A quasiexperimental design with pretest and posttest control groups was used. The study was conducted in December 2024 with first-year students of the Elderly Care Program at the Vocational School of Health Services at Muş Alparslan University. Participants (N = 60) were allocated at the class level to either the educational escape room group or the question-and-answer group. Because the intervention was implemented in intact classes, the study followed a quasiexperimental, cluster-allocated design. Data were collected using the Descriptive Information Form, Academic Self-Efficacy Scale, Achievement Test, and Motivation Scale Related to the Teaching Material. Results: The escape room group showed significant improvements in the motivation subdimensions of attention (78.1%), relevance (71.9%), confidence (75%), and satisfaction (88.4%), as well as overall motivation (81.3%). Posttest achievement scores were significantly higher in the escape room group. Regression analysis confirmed that the escape room intervention had a positive and significant effect on attention, relevance, satisfaction, and overall motivation scores. No significant changes were observed in the question-and-answer group. Conclusions: Integrating scenario-based educational escape room games into the curriculum can increase student engagement, motivation, and academic achievement. These results support the use of interactive and student-centered strategies in health education.