Gamifying teacher recruitment: TeachQuest

TeachQuest is a cutting-edge, scalable and effective ‘persuasive game’ aimed at recruiting more undergraduates into the teaching profession.

This research project addresses the urgent issue of teacher shortages by developing and evaluating a suite of digital games – TeachQuest and TeachHook – aimed at improving recruitment into the teaching profession. At a time when we see teacher shortages around the world, TeachQuest explores how game-based, psychologically-informed tools can engage young people considering a career in education. The project is grounded in motivation theory and recruitment science, using interactive scenarios to showcase the social impact and personal benefits of teaching.

The main aim is to test whether immersive, scenario-driven experiences can increase young people’s motivation to teach, particularly among undergraduates in subject shortage areas such as STEM. The game content is designed to align with evidence on what attracts Gen Z to teaching: authenticity, purpose, career flexibility, and wellbeing. The project uses experimental and survey methods to assess user engagement, shifts in perception, and intention to pursue teaching.

The expected impact is twofold: first, it offers a scalable, low-cost intervention to support national teacher recruitment efforts; second, it contributes to academic understanding of values-based recruitment tools. Ultimately, this work benefits school systems facing workforce shortages, and education-focused organisations seeking innovative solutions to the problem of how to attract high-quality applicants to teaching.

Play TeachQuest.

Watch this short video to hear more:

Further Information

• ESRC Education Research Programme
• TeachQuest information on Teacher Success Project website