How can you help students who are unmotivated in physical education?

1 Know your students

The first step to help unmotivated students is to understand their needs, interests, and preferences. You can use surveys, interviews, or observations to gather information about their attitudes, goals, and challenges in PE. You can also ask them for feedback and suggestions on how to improve the PE program. By knowing your students, you can tailor your instruction and activities to suit their diverse learning styles and abilities.

2 Provide choices and autonomy

One of the main reasons why students lose motivation in PE is that they feel bored, pressured, or controlled. To increase their engagement and ownership, you can provide them with choices and autonomy in PE. For example, you can let them choose the type of activity, the level of difficulty, the equipment, the partner, or the duration. You can also encourage them to set their own goals, monitor their progress, and reflect on their learning. By giving them choices and autonomy, you can foster their intrinsic motivation and self-determination.

4 Make PE fun and relevant

A third way to help unmotivated students is to make PE fun and relevant. You can use games, music, stories, or humor to make PE more enjoyable and engaging. You can also connect PE to other subjects, such as math, science, or history, or to real-life situations, such as health, fitness, or sports. By making PE fun and relevant, you can spark their curiosity, interest, and creativity.

5 Challenge and scaffold students

A fourth strategy to help unmotivated students is to challenge and scaffold them in PE. You can design activities that are challenging but not too difficult, and that match their skill level and readiness. You can also provide them with scaffolds, such as cues, prompts, hints, models, or examples, to help them overcome obstacles and achieve success. By challenging and scaffolding them, you can stimulate their learning and growth.

6 Involve parents and community

A fifth and final tip to help unmotivated students is to involve parents and community in PE. You can communicate with parents about the goals, benefits, and expectations of PE, and ask them to support their children's participation and achievement. You can also invite parents or community members to join or volunteer in PE activities, such as field trips, events, or projects. By involving parents and community, you can create a partnership and a culture of physical activity.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?