Teacher-Mediated Digital Game-Based Learning and Children’s Emotional Intelligence in Inclusive Classrooms: A Systematic Review and Critical Narrative Synthesis

Digital game-based learning is increasingly used to support children’s engagement, interaction, and social–emotional development. However, its contribution to emotional intelligence, particularly in inclusive classroom contexts, remains theoretically underdeveloped and methodologically fragmented. This systematic review and critical narrative synthesis examines how teacher- or facilitator-mediated digital games address children’s emotional intelligence and related social–emotional outcomes in inclusive educational contexts. Following PRISMA 2020 reporting guidance, the review examined peer-reviewed articles indexed in Web of Science and Scopus between 2015 and 2026. After screening 347 unique records and assessing 31 full-text reports, 14 studies were included in the final synthesis. The review focused on four interrelated areas: the emotional and social–emotional outcomes addressed in digital game-based studies; the roles of teachers or facilitators in structuring, mediating, and debriefing game-based activities; the inclusive classroom conditions that support equitable participation and emotional safety; and the risks, limitations, or implementation challenges associated with classroom use. The findings suggest that digital games may become educationally meaningful when they are linked to explicit emotional learning goals, embedded in structured classroom or school-based activities, supported by teacher or facilitator mediation, and followed by reflection or debriefing. Based on the synthesis, the review proposes a teacher-mediated inclusive digital game-based emotional learning framework consisting of seven dimensions: emotional learning target, game selection and pedagogical fit, teacher mediation, inclusive participation, classroom interaction, reflective debriefing, and risk monitoring.