Wearable Devices in Physical Education Classes: Impact on Exercise Motivation

Abstract

The study analyzed the impact of integrating portable technology on motivation toward physical exercise in high school students. It was conducted through a quantitative pre-experimental design with 40 participants aged 15 years from a private institution in Ambato, Ecuador. The pedagogical intervention incorporated the use of mobile phones with the Google Fit application to monitor steps, distance, and activity time, promoting self-regulation and reflection on physical effort. A specific instrument to assess enjoyment and motivation was designed and validated, showing adequate content validity, factorial structure, and internal reliability. The results revealed significant increases in motivational indicators between pretest and posttest, with large effect sizes and high reliability coefficients. The confirmatory factor analysis confirmed a three-factor model (enjoyment, intrinsic interest, and valuation of activity) with satisfactory adjustment indexes. In addition, correlations between self-reported motivation and Google Fit records confirmed the relationship between perceived motivation and physical engagement. It was concluded that the educational use of accessible technology strengthened autonomy, active participation, and enjoyment in Physical Education classes, highlighting its pedagogical and motivational value.