Inductive-deductive choreography in university yoga: a mixed-methods quasi-experimental study of motivation and internalization

Purpose Physical education courses focus on skill practice and lack internalization of knowledge. This study aims to explore how task scheduling based on the inductive-deductive cycle relates to motivation and internalization of yoga course learning. Method This study adopts a mixed research method. Forty two students in the experimental group (inductive deductive arrangement method) and 41 students in the control group (traditional demonstration imitation correction method). The experimental study lasted for 18 weeks. Data included a yoga internalization scale, motivation scale, and qualitative sources (student works, videos). The internalization scale was administered at post-course survey. Results At post-course survey, the two conditions did not differ significantly in total internalization ( p = 0.944, d = −0.02), and no subscale reached significance. The control group scored higher on IM-K before FDR correction ( p = 0.029, d = −0.49). No motivation dimension survived Benjamini–Hochberg correction. Qualitative analysis revealed three themes for the experimental group: the transformation of cognitive style towards body awareness, the integration of thinking patterns through creative tasks, and the transition from learners to independent practitioners. Conclusion The choreography task was used in an 18-week yoga elective, did not show statistically discernible internalization advantages over traditional instruction. Motivation was more differentiated. The control group scored higher on intrinsic motivation–knowledge/experience, the experimental group higher on perceived autonomy/competence, descriptively higher but not statistically significant. The two conditions were associated with different motivational profiles.