Examining the Effect of Digital Sports Games on the Motivation Levels of Secondary School Students Regarding Participation in Sports Activities

Abstract

The aim of this research is to examinethe effect of digital sports games on themotivation levels of secondary school students in participating in sports activities.The research was conducted using a correlational survey model, one of the quantitative research methods, and the researchgroup consisted of 141 volunteer students(80 male, 61 female) studying at the secondary school level in different provincesduring the 2024-2025 academic year. Apersonal information form and the DigitalSports Games Motivation Scale, developedby Kim and Ross (2006) and expanded byCianfrone et al. (2011), were used as datacollection tools. The SPSS software package was used for data analysis, and significance was accepted as p < 0.05. According to the research findings, it was determined that the students' motivation levels for digital sports games were generallyat a moderate level. The sub-dimensionswith the highest motivation were identified as team commitment, entertainment,and socialization. No statistically significant difference was found in digital sportsgame motivation levels according to gender, height, body weight, place of residence, income level, and parental educa-tion level variables (p > 0.05). Regarding the weekly digital game playing timevariable, a significant difference was foundonly in the entertainment sub-dimension;students who played digital sports gamesfor 5-8 hours a week had higher entertainment levels than the other groups (p <0.05). In conclusion, it can be said thatdigital sports games play a motivating rolefor secondary school students, especially inthe dimensions of entertainment and teamcommitment, but this effect is related togame time and the quality of interactionwith the game rather than demographicvariables. It is suggested that digital sportsgames should be considered not as an alter-native to physical sports activities, but as asupportive and complementary element tointerest in sports.