Abstract
In Kazakhstan, conventional instructional approaches are becoming less responsive to the learning needs of Generation Alpha students in the elementary grades, and as a result, student engagement with natural science subjects is declining. This study examines the impact of Vyond-based animated videos, developed with cultural and linguistic adaptation for Kazakhstani learners, on the intrinsic motivation and academic performance of primary school students in the World Knowledge subject. A three-month quasi-experimental pretest-posttest control group study was conducted with 165 students aged 8–10 across three schools in Kyzylorda. Student motivation was assessed using validated shortened versions of the Motivational Strategies for Learning Questionnaire (MSLQ) and the Intrinsic Motivation Inventory (IMI), while knowledge acquisition was measured through curriculum-aligned assessments structured according to Bloom's Revised Taxonomy. Post-intervention analyses revealed substantially larger gains in the experimental group for both knowledge acquisition (Cohen's d = 0.84) and intrinsic motivation ( d = 0.69), with effects being most pronounced for abstract and dynamic topics. However, animation demonstrated limited effectiveness for tasks involving spatial reasoning. These findings extend the Cognitive Theory of Multimedia Learning and Dual Coding Theory to a linguistically and culturally distinct primary education context and underscore the importance of cultural adaptation and teacher instructional competence for effective digital pedagogy.