Enhancing motivation in physical education through physical computing for obesity prevention: a preliminary exploratory study

Abstract

Addressing the challenge of sustaining student motivation in physical education (PE), this preliminary exploratory study examines the feasibility and motivational effects of integrating physical computing into PE activities using the micro:bit device. With only three primary school students participating in each experiment, this study used a quasi-experiment design to evaluate and compare students’ performance on three different physical activities: hula hoop jumps, shuttle runs, and sit-ups, with and without physical computing integration. The physical computing tool used here is micro:bit, which provides gamified and real-time feedback to students through visual and auditory signals to improve their interest and engagement in physical activities. The completion times for all physical activities were recorded manually and compared to evaluate performance improvements. From this study’s initial findings, physical computing integration can improve students’ interest and performance in physical activities. Among those three activities, shuttle runs showed the highest performance improvement, up to 21.36%. That result supports the fact this study provides meaningful insights into the potential of physical computing to improve PE activities and prevent obesity. This study’s focus on feasibility and application in real-world settings provides a solid foundation for further research on related fields and it’s promoting an active and healthy lifestyles among children.