Learning motivation and physical education learning outcomes among fifth-grade elementary school students: a correlational study

Abstract

Learning motivation is widely regarded as a key psychological driver of student achievement, yet evidence on its relationship with physical education outcomes at the elementary level remains limited. This study examined the relationship between learning motivation and Physical Education, Sport, and Health (PJOK) learning outcomes among fifth-grade students at a public elementary school in Tanah Datar Regency, West Sumatra, Indonesia. A quantitative correlational design was employed. All 27 fifth-grade students (15 boys, 12 girls) were recruited through total/purposive sampling. Learning motivation was measured using a 47-item four-point Likert questionnaire covering perseverance, resilience to difficulty, interest and attentiveness, and achievement orientation, while PJOK learning outcomes were operationalized as students’ semester report-card scores. Data were analyzed using Liliefors normality tests, Pearson product-moment correlation, and t-test significance testing. A significant, positive, moderate correlation was found between learning motivation and PJOK learning outcomes (r = 0.430, n = 27, p < 0.05; t = 2.38 > ttable = 1.70), with motivation accounting for approximately 18.5% of the variance in outcomes (r² = 0.185). These findings indicate that motivation is a meaningful, though partial, correlate of PJOK achievement among young learners, consistent with self-determination theory. Implications for pedagogy and future research are discussed.