Social-Emotional Learning and Accessibility in Digital Educational Games for Preschool-Aged Children: A Qualitative Content Analysis Using WebQDA

Digital Educational Games (DEGs) for preschool learners are increasingly emerging tools to support Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) through playful, engaging, and developmentally appropriate environments. These games can cultivate core SEL competencies (self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision-making), yet their design principles, accessibility features, and pedagogical frameworks remain underexplored.  

Building on a Systematic Literature Review (SLR) from an ongoing project, this qualitative content analysis investigates how SEL competencies and accessibility, informed by Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles, are embedded in narratives, gameplay mechanics, and interactive features, providing insights into effective and inclusive learning environments for preschoolers. 

A purposive sample of DEGs was analyzed using WebQDA, with analytical categories structured around four dimensions: narrative, gameplay, SEL portrayal, and accessibility. Iterative coding refined categories and ensured methodological rigor. 

Preliminary findings indicate that DEGs emphasize self-management and responsible decision-making. Audiovisual support, roleplaying strategies, and easy to learn interfaces support engagement, while accessibility features such as scaffolding, increased level of difficulty, and feeling of progress over time promote equitable participation. A set of good practices in narrative, gameplay, SEL integration, and accessibility is emerging to guide educators and developers.  

DEGs can provide developmentally appropriate and accessible contexts for SEL in early childhood. By identifying evidence-based good practices, this study contributes to literature on digital educational games, inclusive learning design, and qualitative methods in web-based research, while demonstrating the value of CAQDAS (WebQDA) for systematic qualitative analysis.