The effect of tactical game-based physical education lessons on students’ basic psychological needs satisfaction and self-determined motivation

By creating a structured physical activity environment, physical education teachers can enhance students’ motivation to engage in and maintain a physically active lifestyle. One promising approach to achieving this is structuring physical education lessons using a Tactical Game Approach (TGA), which may influence students’ psychological needs and support self-determined motivation. This study investigates the impact of physical education classes organized around this TGA. The research utilized a pretest-posttest model with a control group from a quasi-experimental design. The study involved two classes of 8th graders selected through random assignment at a secondary school. In the experimental group, lessons were delivered using the TGA, while the control group received instruction via the direct instruction model (DIM). The experimental group consisted of 24 students (13 boys and 11 girls), and the control group also included 24 students (12 boys and 12 girls). The data were analysed using a two-way ANOVA with repeated measures. The results indicated that the experimental group demonstrated higher scores in basic psychological needs and self-determined motivation than the control group. According to the findings, the TGA appears to support students’ basic psychological needs and may enhance their motivation toward physical education lessons.