No. 8, pp. 41–41

Published: 28.07.2026

CC BY 4.0

Keywords: sports games, university students, physical education, engagement, motivation.

The aim of the study is to determine the effect of sports games on the engagement of students from non-core universities in physical culture and sports activities.

Methodology and organization of the study. The research involved 36 first-year students aged 18–19 who do not regularly engage in sports. During the academic semester, micro-futsal, volleyball, badminton, and table tennis were included in physical education classes. Engagement was assessed by attendance, interest in classes, and willingness to participate in extracurricular sports events based on questionnaires administered before and after the experiment.

Results and discussion. During the experiment, class attendance increased from 82.3±6.8% to 91.5±5.1%. The proportion of students demonstrating a sustained interest in physical education classes increased from 56% to 81%. The number of students expressing a desire to additionally participate in the university's mass sports events increased from 38% to 69%.
According to the questionnaire results, the majority of students noted a high interest in game-based classes, the opportunity to choose the most attractive type of sports activity, and the accessibility of the proposed exercises. Micro-futsal and volleyball classes aroused the greatest interest among students, while badminton and table tennis facilitated the engagement of students with a lower level of physical fitness. More than 80% of respondents indicated that the use of sports games increased their interest in physical education classes and improved their attitude towards physical activity in general.

Conclusion. The use of sports games in the educational process promotes the increased engagement of students from non-core universities in physical culture and sports activities. The inclusion of micro-futsal, volleyball, badminton, and table tennis in classes makes it possible to increase attendance, form a sustained interest in physical culture, and increase the number of students participating in extracurricular sports events. The obtained results allow us to recommend sports games as an effective means of increasing students' motivation for systematic physical education classes.

References

1. Guba V.P. Teoriya i metodika sportivnykh igr [Theory and methods of sports games]. Moscow: Sport Publishing House LLC. 2020. 720 p. ISBN 978-5-907225-41-1. DOI 10.53725/9785907225411. EDN ZUNVBM.