CURRENT PROBLEMS AND ESSENTIAL NEEDS IN DEVELOPING A GAME THEORY-BASED ADAPTIVE DIGITAL PLATFORM TO ELEVATE READING LITERACY WITHIN THE PROGRAMME FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDENT ASSESSMENT FRAMEWORK: PISA

Abstract

This study employed Educational Design Research (EDR) as proposed by with three objectives: 1) To examine the current state and analyze problems related to reading skills in digital contexts; 2) To survey and assess stakeholder needs regarding digital platform development; and 3) To evaluate the appropriateness of reading literacy components based on the PISA framework for early primary school students. A mixed-methods approach was adopted. Qualitative data were collected from seven stakeholder groups through focus group discussions and in-depth interviews, while quantitative data were gathered from 286 Thai language teachers to assess the appropriateness of the identified components. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and content analysis.The findings revealed that: 1) Stakeholders perceived the severity of reading-related problems at the highest level ( = 4.64, S.D. = 0.49); 2) The primary challenges identified were a lack of reading motivation, individual differences among learners, and insufficient analytical reading skills as defined by the PISA framework; 3) The need for innovation development was rated at the highest level ( = 4.75, S.D. = 0.34), particularly for a platform integrating gamification mechanisms with an adaptive system capable of accommodating individual differences; and 4) All five components of reading literacy were rated as highly appropriate ( = 4.38), with reading engagement and affective disposition toward reading, along with the application of reading outcomes, receiving the highest ratings. The study recommends that the platform to be developed in subsequent phases should integrate an AI-driven adaptive system, gamification mechanisms to enhance motivation, and a scaffolded support system for systematically developing higher-order thinking skills. These findings provide an empirical foundation for designing innovations aligned with authentic Thai school contexts of Thai schools.