Gamified simulations in training clinical psychologists: From academic engagement to professional identity

Abstract

The digital transformation of Russian higher education has increased demands on students’ professional development, particularly through accreditation procedures and the standardization of educational programs. At the same time, there is a lack of digital tools that effectively integrate the acquisition of knowledge and skills with the development of learning engagement, agency, and professional identity. This article examines gamified simulators as a promising tool for facilitating the transition from learning activity to the experience of professional roles within the digital learning environment. For the training of clinical psychologists, this implies the need to integrate the mastery of normative competencies with the development of agency and professional identity. The study’s theoretical and methodological framework encompasses activity-based, narrative, and systemic-anthropological approaches. The activity perspective interprets the simulator as a special form of learning action; the narrative perspective views it as a constructor of professional narratives and a tool of meaning-making; the systemic-anthropological perspective conceptualizes it as a self-organizing environment that generates engagement and initiates qualitative changes in the learner’s agency. An analysis of engagement concepts (A. W. Astin, W. B. Schaufeli, E. V. Pavlova, E. R. Kahu), theories of professional identity (K. A. Abulkhanova, A. N. Leontiev, E. F. Zeer, V. E. Klochko), and gamification models (S. Deterding, J. Hamari) shows that the effects of gamified simulators manifest across cognitive, emotional, and behavioral dimensions of engagement, while also contributing to the formation of elements of professional identity. Compared to traditional learning formats, such simulators allow for the modeling of uncertainty and responsibility, reduce anxiety, strengthen motivation, and foster readiness for normatively regulated action. The analysis also addresses controversial issues, such as the risk of superficial engagement through over-reliance on extrinsic incentives, the necessity of scenario content validity, and the critical role of the teacher in facilitation and debriefing. The research concludes that gamified simulators which integrate game mechanics and narrative can serve as an effective tool for student professionalization, ensuring a transition from learning engagement to the formation of professional identity.