The Didactic-Pedagogical Game as an Instrument of Pedagogical Differentiation – Integrative Review

Abstract

Pedagogical differentiation is now widely regarded as both a didactic and ethical requirement for addressing classroom heterogeneity, particularly within inclusion-oriented education policies. Among the strategies proposed to operationalise this aim, didactic-pedagogical games have been advanced as active-learning resources with the potential to adjust challenge levels, modes of participation, and ways of expressing learning. This study presents an integrative literature review on the contribution of didactic-pedagogical games to pedagogical differentiation, articulated with the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) framework. The bibliographic research was conducted between 1 and 31 March 2025 in Web of Science, ERIC, and SciELO, covering publications from 2015 to 2024 and applying explicit inclusion and exclusion criteria. Following title/abstract screening and full-text eligibility assessment, 44 studies were included. The thematic synthesis identified four axes: (i) didactic-pedagogical games within differentiation and inclusive education frameworks; (ii) instructional design features that distinguish didactic-pedagogical games from merely playful activities; (iii) contributions to motivation, participation, and self-regulation as mediating mechanisms; and (iv) the centrality of teacher mediation and implementation conditions. The findings suggest that didactic-pedagogical games can support the flexibilization of learning processes (access, engagement, and expression), although the evidence is heterogeneous and often constrained by short-term study designs and non-comparable measures. Implications for future research and the conditions for transferability to international contexts are discussed.