Raising student motivation and interest in football through rich media platforms: the experience of China

Abstract

ABSTRACT Under the current information technology development and social interaction digitalization, China shows an increasing interest in the possibilities of digital solutions improving the effectiveness of pedagogical processes when forming and developing sports competencies and skills in football players. The present article is devoted to the study of the influence of a digital game-based learning environment on the development of young football players’ tactical thinking skills, football interest, and motivation to play it. The study offers an innovative football training model based upon the synergy of virtual (eFootball PES 2021 and SkillShare platforms) and real experiences. Testing of the developed model was carried out on the example of young football players (10–12 years) studying at the X sports school. The conducted educational experiment revealed the benefits of introducing game simulation in football training. The experiment results showed that game simulation and group participation in virtual football matches in eFootball PES 2021 helped master basic football techniques, facilitated the acquisition of competitive experience, fostered a culture of teamwork and camaraderie, and contributed to the rise of conscientiousness and self-discipline.