Increasing Junior High Learners Motivation and Participation in Physical Education through Game-Based Warm-Up Activities

This study examined the effectiveness of game-based warm-up activities in increasing learners’ motivation and participation in Physical Education (PE). Using a one-group pretest -posttest design, changes in ARCS motivation components Attention, Relevance, Confidence, and Satisfaction were assessed. Participants were junior high school learners with modest family incomes, large households, and limited home support. Data were collected via ARCS pre- and post-tests, SIMS scales, and teacher evaluation forms, and analyzed using weighted mean and paired sample t-tests.
Results showed very high post-intervention motivation (WM = 3.58), with notable gains in Confidence (WM = 3.68), Relevance (WM = 3.57), Attention (WM = 3.53), and Satisfaction (WM = 3.52). Paired t-tests confirmed statistically significant improvements with large to very large effect sizes, indicating meaningful impacts of the intervention. Teachers also strongly agreed that motivation (WM = 3.40) and participation (WM = 3.89) improved.
The study concludes that game-based warm-up activities effectively foster motivation, engagement, and active participation in Physical Education. An enhancement action plan is recommended to further strengthen lower-gain areas and address contextual challenges.