School-based Physical Activity: Planning with student motivation in mind

Abstract

Central to providing rich and diverse PA opportunities in schools are our classroom teachers. Regardless of generalist or specialist training in health and physical education, all of our Ontario teachers play a vital role in providing opportunities for children and youth to learn through PA. This paper (a) positions student participation in school-based PA as an essential public health outcome, (b) explores barriers affecting teachers’ efforts to provide school-based PA, and (c) offers teachers one potential macro planning and instructional solution to address a single barrier-the challenge associated with planning for student motivation in school-based PA settings. Keller’s (1987) influential ARCS model of motivational design provides the foundation for the proposed solution. An adapted version, the ARCS School-Based PA model, is presented. The adapted model offers considerations and sample category success strategies that could be embedded in teachers’ current school-based PA planning and instructional practices to support the development of school-based PA programming that is firmly grounded in learner motivation and needs.