Keywords:
heritage-based learning
educational effectiveness
ethnopedagogy
cultural learning

  • Abstract

    Traditional games are often promoted as a contextually and meaningfully grounded approach to learning; however, empirical evidence of their effectiveness remains fragmented and yields inconsistent results. On the one hand, traditional games are believed to enhance student engagement and understanding; on the other hand, their effectiveness is often questioned due to a strong dependence on implementation contexts. This study aims to synthesize empirical evidence on the impact of integrating traditional games into learning through a contrast-group meta-analysis. A total of 39 effect sizes drawn from studies published between 2017 and 2025 were analyzed using a random-effects model with the support of JASP (Jeffreys’s Amazing Statistics Program). The results indicate that learning through traditional games has a strong, statistically significant positive effect on learning outcomes (Hedges’ g = 3.97; p < .001). However, this effect is accompanied by substantial heterogeneity, suggesting considerable variation in impact across contexts and types of learning outcomes. This pattern indicates that the observed effectiveness is not uniformly distributed, but is shaped by differences in instructional design, cultural alignment, and the nature of the learning outcomes assessed. Robustness analyses further reveal that the meta-analytic findings are relatively stable and not easily distorted by potential publication bias. These findings suggest that the effectiveness of traditional games is strong but uneven. From a theoretical perspective, the pedagogical strength of traditional games does not reside in the form of the games themselves, but rather in how they are integrated as cultural practices and meaningful learning experiences. This study contributes to the literature by positioning traditional games as a form of context-sensitive heritage-based pedagogical practice, while reinforcing the role of ethnopedagogy and constructivist learning in explaining variations in their educational effectiveness.

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Hidayati, N., Mellisa, Ahmad, A. M. B., & Nurdiana, H. (2026). Learning through heritage: Effect size of traditional games in learning contexts. Multidisciplinary Reviews, 9(12), 2026590. https://doi.org/10.31893/multirev.2026590
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