Development of “JOB Labor Market Card Game”, an Instructional Tool in Labor Economics Course

Traditional pedagogy in economics education often struggles with the abstract and quantitative nature of the subject that can lead to diminished student engagement and comprehension. This study addresses that pedagogical challenge by developing and evaluating the "JOB Labor Market Card Game," an innovative instructional tool for labor economics course. Employing a mixed-method research design, the researchers assessed the game's effect on student learning and engagement. The research population consisted of 47 undergraduate economics students at Pangasinan State University. Descriptive statistics and Chi-square tests were used for quantitative analysis to measure the game's acceptability across three dimensions: attention, relevance, and satisfaction. Thematic analysis was employed for qualitative data. The results reveal a very high level of acceptability for the game, with mean scores consistently above 4.35 on a 5-point Likert scale. Students reported improvements in motivation, active participation, and comprehension of complex labor market concepts. The game was perceived as a valuable supplement to traditional teaching methods that can enhance analytical, social, and decision-making skills. Qualitative data reinforced these findings which suggest that the game has the ability to make learning more interactive and engaging. The study concludes that the integration of educational games such as the developed “JOB” Labor Maret Card Game is a valuable and effective supplement to conventional teaching methods in economics and other complex disciplines in higher education.