Motivating Students to Participate and Meet Goals During PE lesson

Research suggests that children and youth can be motivated to participate in physical activity for the following three key reasons:

• Enjoyment. If physical activities are fun, young people are more likely to participate in them.Also, an enjoyable physical activity can be more appealing to young people than a less engaging sedentary one. 
• Development of competence in physical skills. Young people enjoy and gain confidence from developing and demonstrating physical fitness and movement skills. 
• Social acceptance. Participating in physical activities can help young people make friends and gain acceptance from their peers 

    There fore, the lesson should we as a PE Teacher is expected to include third motivation above and help determine the objectives (Goals) a student is into the PE lesson. So, in the teaching-learning process is expected to be fun, improve sports skills, and improve social skills of students.

     Reasons include the above-mentioned three motivational programs into the planning of teaching learning process this is also implicit in the quote: “Students’ attitudes towards health and physical education can have a significant effect on their achievement of the [curriculum] expectations. To learn effectively and develop positive attitudes towards healthy active living, students should enjoy the skill-development and physical activities.” Adapted From (The Ontario Curriculum, Grades 1–8: Health and Physical Education, 1998, p. 4.)
In addition to the above three main motivations, listed below there are  five step strategies that can be used by teachers in combining  teaching learning process to help students try new behaviours and develop new life patterns: 

F I V E  S T E P S  F O R  S U C C E S S 

1. Help students develop awareness. Make young people active participants in the process of changing their behaviour.We know that youth are far more motivated when they are part of the decision-making process and not just passive recipients of instruction! Help students become aware of how active they are. For example, ask them to keep a record of the time they spend every day doing something that involves physical activity. This awareness will help students pay attention to what they do with their time, which is essential to the next step.
2.  Have students set goals. Goal setting is part of any change process and helps students monitor their behaviour and measure their own progress. In the classroom, students can contribute to setting a class goal for physical activity, or each student can set an individual short- or long-term goal. Encourage students to set goals that can be broken down into small, incremental steps. Students should try to reach their goal, then assess their progress, revise and reset their goal, and try again. Help students establish their own goals so that they can take responsibility for their progress and be involved in revising their plans.
3.  Give specific feedback and encouragement. Provide helpful, specific feedback, on a regular basis, about activities students have tried and progress they have made towards the goals they have set. Encourage students along the way.    
4. Get students to commit to their goals. Making a commitment is critical for success. Provide frequent opportunities to discuss goals, in order to help students strengthen their commitment. 
5. Recognize and celebrate successes. Reinforce positive behaviours, and celebrate successes throughout the year.

(Adapted from: Resources Guide, Healthy School: Daily Physical Activity in School (7–8 Years of Age), 2005, p. 6). 
    By knowing the three motivations and five steps above the expected success as a teacher we can motivate our students to keep a healthy lifestyle for daily activity and learn to set goal and develop the values contained during PE lesson.