app store badge google play badge

Get the mobile app for the best Kahoot! experience!

Research articles on Kahoot!

There’s a wealth of great research articles that demonstrate how Kahoot! promotes learning, interaction, and engagement. Here’s our curated list.

Applications in learning | Testing and assessment

Submit your research

Want to understand the pedagogy behind Kahoot! more? Here’s our curated list of high quality, relevant and peer-reviewed articles on how Kahoot! leads to higher engagement, higher student motivation and better learning outcomes.

Applications of Kahoot! in learning

Garza, M., Olivan, S., Monleón, E. et al. Performance in Kahoot! activities as predictive of exam performance. BMC Med Educ 23, 413 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-023-04379-x
This study explores how Kahoot! can support students in exam preparation and predicting exam performance in medical school classes. It is relevant for educators within higher education who are interested in offering an engaging way for students to practice for exams.

Montenegro-Rueda M, Fernández-Cerero J, Mena-Guacas AF, Reyes-Rebollo MM. Impact of Gamified Teaching on University Student Learning. Education Sciences. 2023; 13(5):470. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci13050470
This study demonstrates how a gamification strategy in higher education improves university students’ engagement, motivation, and academic performance. It is relevant for educators in higher education institutions who are considering implementing a gamified learning strategy.

Barragán-Pulido S, Barragán-Pulido ML, Alonso-Hernández JB, Castro-Sánchez JJ, Rabazo-Méndez MJ. Development of Students’ Skills through Gamification and Serious Games: An Exploratory Study. Applied Sciences. 2023; 13(9):5495. https://doi.org/10.3390/app13095495
This study explores how playful learning technologies, such as Kahoot!, can encourage engagement, motivation, and skill development for both educators and students. It is relevant for educators interested in understanding the impact of a game-based learning approach on students’ skill development.

Shawwa L, Kamel F (March 28, 2023) Assessing the Knowledge and Perceptions of Medical Students After Using Kahoot! in Pharmacology Practical Sessions at King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah. Cureus 15(3): e36796. doi:10.7759/cureus.36796
This study explores the effectiveness of Kahoot! to support learning in medical education, and demonstrates that Kahoot! improves students’ engagement, motivation, and academic performance. It’s relevant for educators within higher education who are interested in the connection between students’ engagement and academic achievement.

Ortiz-Martínez, E., Santos-Jaén, J.M. & Marín-Hernández, S. Kahoot! and its effect on financial accounting marks at the university. Educ Inf Technol (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-023-11612-z
This study analyzes the impact of Kahoot! usage on higher ed students’ continuous learning, illustrating how studying with Kahoot! serves to improve students’ academic performance. It’s relevant for any educator in higher education contexts seeking research-backed solutions to help students prepare for tests and raise their overall grades.

Atherton, P. (2018). More than just a quiz – how Kahoot! can help trainee teachers understand the learning process, Teacher Education Advancement Network Journal, Vol 10(2), 29-39
This study explores how Kahoot! could help develop trainee teachers’ understanding of the learning process, and shows evidence that Kahoot! could help trainee teachers build their learners’ confidence and develop their metacognition. It’s relevant for any educator who is considering using Kahoot! in their classroom.

Elkhamisy, F.A.A., Wassef, R.M. (2021). Innovating pathology learning via Kahoot! game-based tool: a quantitative study of students’ perceptions and academic performance, Alexandria Journal of Medicine, 57:1, 215-223
This study demonstrates that Kahoot! is an effective tool to engage students in learning and increase knowledge retention. It’s relevant for any educator considering using Kahoot! in their classroom, particularly in higher education institutions.

Wang, A. I., Tahir R. (2020). The effect of using Kahoot! for learning – A literature review, Computers & Education, Volume 149, 103818
This literature review analyzes 93 studies on the effect of using Kahoot! in the classroom, concluding that Kahoot! has a positive effect on learning performance, classroom dynamics, attitudes and anxiety. It is relevant for any educator interested in evidence-based strategies for learning through play.

Bawa, P. (2019). Using Kahoot to Inspire. Journal of Educational Technology Systems, 47(3), 373-390.
This study explores how Kahoot! enhances learner performance and engagement levels more than traditional teaching methods. It’s relevant for teachers, professors, and curriculum designers, especially in higher education.

Bicen, H., & Kocakoyun, S. (2017). Determination of University Students’ Most Preferred Mobile Application for Gamification. World Journal on Educational Technology: Current Issues, 9(1), 18-23.
According to this study, college students in Turkey preferred playing Kahoot! over other popular learning tools ClassDojo, Socrative, and Classcraft. It’s relevant for college professors, academic researchers, and educators looking for game-based classroom tools.

Cutri, R., Marim, L. R., Cordeiro, J. R., Gil, H. A. C., & Guerald, C. C. T. (2016). Kahoot, a new and cheap way to get classroom-response instead of using clickers. In Proceedings of American Society for Engineering Education conference, New Orleans, USA (p. 26-29).
The research demonstrates how Kahoot! can be used as to obtain immediate audience feedback instead of using a “clicker”, with a focus on higher education.

Felszeghy, S., et al. (2019). Using online game-based platforms to improve student performance and engagement in histology teaching. In BMC Medical Education.

This study tested the effect of implementing kahoots during medical and dental school classes at a university in Finland. It is relevant for any university educator interested in understanding the positive impact of Kahoot! in the student learning process.

Gebbels, M. (2018). Re-engineering challenging and abstract topics using Kahoot!, a student response system. Compass: Journal of Learning and Teaching, 11(2).

This lecturer studied the impact of playing Kahoot! as a digital student response system to keep students engaged, as well as providing the instructor with feedback. It’s relevant for any educator who is considering using Kahoot! in their classroom.

Grinias, J. P. (2017). Making a game out of it: Using web-based competitive quizzes for quantitative analysis content review. Journal of Chemical Education, 94 (9), 1363–1366.
This paper reviews the efficacy of Kahoot! inside of the classroom, specifically for analytical chemistry students. It’s most relevant for educators who want to implement Kahoot! into their classrooms.

Ismail, M.A., Ahmad, A., Mohammad, J.A. et al.(2019). Using Kahoot! as a formative assessment tool in medical education: a phenomenological study. BMC Med Educ 19(230).
This article shows that Kahoot! is a learning tool that will motivate students to study and help them learn. It is useful for any educators interested in incorporating Kahoot! into their lessons.

Kuo, C. L., & Chuang, Y. H. (2018). Kahoot: Applications and Effects in Education. Hu Li Za Zhi, 65(6), 13-19.
This research provides techniques on how to introduce Kahoot! into the college classroom and how to use it effectively. It’s primarily aimed at nursing instructors but will be useful for any educator who is interested in engaging digitally with Generation Z.

Leung, E., & Pluskwik, E. (2018). Effectiveness of Gamification Activities in a Project-based Learning Classroom. Paper presented at ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition.
Here, researchers studied the efficacy of gamification in the college classroom and found that Kahoot! scored the highest in engagement and enjoyment. It’s a useful article for educators who are evaluating different types of digital tools for the classroom.

Panagiotis, F., Theodoros, M., Leinfellner, R., & Yasmine, R. (2016). Climbing up the leaderboard: An empirical study of applying gamification techniques to a computer programming class. Electronic Journal of e-learning, 14(2), 94-110.
This study shows how gamifying a computer-programming course positively impacted students’ learning experience, motivation, recall ability, and performance. It is particularly relevant for computer science teachers and academics as well as any educator interested in the effects of gamification.

Plump, C. M., & LaRosa, J. (2017). Using Kahoot! in the classroom to create engagement and active learning: A game-based technology solution for eLearning novices. Management Teaching Review, 2(2), 151-158.
This article reviews how university professors can incorporate e-learning into their classrooms with Kahoot! and the benefits the platform can provide to students and professors. It’s a useful article for higher education professionals looking for guidance on implementing Kahoot! into their curriculum.

Tan, D., Ganapathy, M., Kaur, M. (2018).Kahoot ! It : Gamification in Higher Education. Pertanika Journal of Social Science and Humanities, 26(1), 565–582.
This study shows how Kahoot! can increase student motivation and engagement along with reinforcing learning materials. It’s relevant for college professors wanting to learn more about the benefits of Kahoot! in the classroom.

Wang, A. I., & Lieberoth, A. (2016, January). The effect of points and audio on concentration, engagement, enjoyment, learning, motivation, and classroom dynamics using Kahoot. In European Conference on Games Based Learning (p. 738). Academic Conferences International Limited.
This article dives into the specifics of game-based learning, demonstrating how drivers like music and points can have an effect on engagement and learning. It’s relevant to educators interested in understanding the impact of music and competition in the classroom.

Zarzycka-Piskorz, E. (2016). Kahoot it or not? Can games be motivating in learning grammar?. Teaching English with Technology, 16(3), 17-36.
This study showed how Kahoot! has a positive effect on students learning languages. It is particularly useful for language teachers who are considering using Kahoot! in their teaching.

Kahoot!, testing and assessment

Castro M-J, López M, Cao M-J, Fernández-Castro M, García S, Frutos M, et al. (2019). Impact of educational games on academic outcomes of students in the Degree in Nursing. PLoS ONE 14(7).
This article shows the positive effect that using Kahoot! to review content can have on assessments. It is especially relevant for those in nursing education.

Iwamoto, D. H., Hargis, J., Taitano, E. J., & Vuong, K. (2017). Analyzing the Efficacy of the Testing Effect Using Kahoot™ on Student Performance. Turkish Online Journal of Distance Education, 18(2), 80-93.
This article details how incorporating Kahoot! into lesson plans can improve student exam scores. It would be of interest to teachers or learning and development professionals who want to read about how Kahoot! can be used for formative assessment and help improve knowledge retention and test scores.

Jamil, Z., Fatima, S. S., & Saeed, A. A. (2018). Preclinical medical students’ perspective on technology enhanced assessment for learning. JPMA, 68(6), 898-903.
The article suggests that medical schools should implement Kahoot! to strengthen academic performance and engagement. Teachers and professors alike would be interested in this article.

Tóth, Á., Lógó, P., & Lógó, E. (2017). The Effect of the Kahoot Quiz on the Student’s Results in the Exam. Periodica Polytechnica Social and Management Sciences.
This study demonstrates how students who participate in kahoots score higher on exams and get more answers correct. The article is relevant for education professionals.

Wichadee, S., & Pattanapichet, F. (2018). Enhancement of performance and motivation through application of digital games in an English language class. Teaching English with Technology, 18(1), 77-92.
This explores how to incorporate gamification into English languages classrooms with Kahoot! to boost student motivation and their learning outcomes. English language teachers would find this article most relevant but it’s also useful for all teachers.

Turan, Z., & Meral, E. (2018). Game-Based versus to Non-Game-Based: The Impact of Student Response Systems on Students’ Achievements, Engagements and Test Anxieties. Informatics in Education, 17(1), 105-116.
This study compared Kahoot! to Socrative and found that middle school students who used Kahoot! had higher academic achievement and engagement levels with lowered test anxiety. This article is useful for all educators, and learning and development professionals.