Optimising Physical Education: The Application of OPTIMAL Theory in Practice

The development of motor competence is critical for a child’s holistic development and engagement in physical activity across the lifespan. As physical education becomes more marginalised in school settings, efforts are needed to enhance the quality of movement skill learning environments. One such approach is through the optimisation of task design, instruction and feedback which engages learners in key attentional (external focus of attention) and motivational (enhanced expectancies and autonomy support) processes. This paper aims to provide practical examples of how these key attentional and motivational factors can be applied by teachers in physical education lessons to optimise the learning of motor skills and motivation to create a physically literate learner.