The Relationship Between Sports Learning Engagement and Intrinsic Motivation of College Students: a Longitudinal Study

Introduction. In higher education, the link between sports learning engagement and intrinsic motivation is crucial. While sports benefit health and academics, their long-term motivational mechanisms remain unclear. This study tracks students over time to explore how intrinsic motivation shapes sports participation, its trends, and its implications for university physical education and student development. Method. This study conducted a three-wave (T1, T2 and T3), 1.5-year survey of 365 college students using questionnaires. Data were grouped, coded, and analyzed with SPSS 26.0 and Mplus 8.0. SPSS 26.0 handled item and factor analysis, bias testing, descriptive and correlation analysis, and repeated measures ANOVA to assess sports learning engagement and intrinsic motivation stability. Mplus 8.0 conducted cross-lagged analysis to examine the predictive relationship between intrinsic motivation and sports cognition, behavior, and emotional engagement. Results. The research results show that: 1) Intrinsic motivation and sports engagement decline from T1 to T3, with emotional engagement at T1 higher than at T2 and T3 and cognitive engagement higher than at T3; 2) Intrinsic motivation positively correlates with all engagement types, strongest with emotional engagement; 3) It predicts later cognitive and behavioral engagement, but influences emotional engagement only from T2 to T3, with T2 motivation predicting T3 behavioral engagement more strongly than T1 to T2; 4) Prior behavioral and emotional engagement boosts later intrinsic motivation, while cognitive engagement does not, and this effect weakens over time. Discussion and Conclusion. This study highlights the complex relationship between sports learning engagement and intrinsic motivation, enhancing the understanding of motivational dynamics in college sports education. The findings have practical implications for optimizing sports education and student development. To enhance learning outcomes and motivation, sports education strategies should prioritize fostering intrinsic motivation and promoting emotional engagement.