Understanding why kids continue to engage or not to engage in physical activity is important to all practitioners. Student engagement becomes central to how teachers plan and deliver various types of learning experiences in school gyms and athletic fields. Understanding the complexity of this issue has been addressed through various forms of research as well as trial and error attempts by those who work with kids on a daily basis. This article attempts to help clarify our understanding of the factors that impact the motivational levels of children and youth when they are exposed to various physical activity learning experiences. We first describe the historical roots of research that have looked at life in the gym. Next, we provide three aspects of examining factors that influence physical activity engagement in school programs. One aspect is how skill level and perceived competence influence engagement in students. Following is a discussion of the personal and psychological factors that impact engagement. Specifically, we examine the values that students have toward physical activity programs and their engagement motive. We also describe the how kids' sense of hope for doing well in physical activity mediate their levels of engagement in various achievement situations. We conclude with some important considerations for doing research on children's and youth's thoughts and perceptions during physical activity engagement.

Resumen

Comprender por qué los niños continúan participando o no, en las actividades físicas es de gran interés para todos los profesionales. El compromiso de los escolares es un elemento central para los profesores a la hora de planificar y ofrecer diferentes tipos de experiencias de aprendizaje en los gimnasios escolares y en los campos deportivos. La complejidad de este tema se ha abordado tanto a través de diversas formas de investigación, como mediante ensayo y error, por parte de aquellos que trabajan diariamente en Educación Física. Este artículo intenta ayudar a aclarar nuestra comprensión de los factores que afectan los niveles de motivación de los escolares, cuando están expuestos a diversas experiencias de aprendizaje en educación física. En primer lugar, se describe el origen de la investigación que ha analizado la vida en el gimnasio. A continuación, se presentan tres de los aspectos que influyen en la participación en educación física. En primer lugar, se analiza cómo el nivel de competencia y coordinación, así como la competencia percibida, influyen en el compromiso de los escolares. A continuación, se analizan los factores personales y psicológicos que influyen en dicho compromiso. Específicamente, se examinan los valores que los estudiantes otorgan a los programas de Educación Física y su motivación a participar en ellos. También se describe cómo la esperanza por alcanzar el éxito media en los niveles de participación en diversas situaciones de rendimiento. Se concluye con algunas sugerencias importantes para investigar sobre los pensamientos y percepciones de los niños y jóvenes durante su participación comprometida en Educación Física.

https://doi.org/10.5232/ricyde2019.05506

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