The impact of popular music on middle school students’ learning motivation in physical education

Music in physicaleducation (PE)has recently gained popularity as an approachto increasing student learning motivation. This study incorporated Korean pop (K-pop) music, a key cultural force affecting young culture and identity, into PE classes. A total of 300 students were recruited and divided equally into two groups: an experimental group (gymnastics lessons with music) and a control group (those without music). Over a 5-week period, participants underwent 15 gymnastics sessions three times per week and were asked to fill out questionnaires on learning motivation before and after the intervention. The findings demonstrated that the experimental group exhibited higher competency and learning values than the control group over time. Students in PE lessons with K-pop music had a lower fear of failure than those without music. These findings imply that culturally relevant music in PE classes can boost students’ learning motivation, which may be applicable in real-world classroom settings.