Orchestrating gameplay in Dutch physical education: how and why teachers regulate task difficulty

Physical education (PE) teachers play a central role in shaping students' physical literacy, including motivation, confidence, physical competence, knowledge, and understanding that supports lifelong physical activity. Differentiation of task difficulty during lessons is widely considered essential in this process. Yet in game-based lessons, what challenges one student may overwhelm or bore another. To better understand how and why teachers differentiate task difficulty, this qualitative study explored how junior secondary school PE teachers adapt task difficulty during game-based lessons.

Fourteen teachers participated in stimulated recall interviews based on 20-minute GoPro recordings of their own lessons. We analyzed the data using reflexive thematic analysis.

Teachers described differentiation as an ongoing, situated process of monitoring and shaping students' engagement by verbal guidance, rather than primarily modifying task constraints (e.g., rules or equipment). Teachers emphasized fostering inclusive participation, cultivating a positive pedagogical climate, using praise to reinforce desired behaviors, and regulating gameplay by stepping in and out.

Differentiation most often occurred through verbal feedback, with particular attention to supporting students perceived as less confident, while engaging higher-skilled students in role-model or leadership roles. In their reasoning, teachers placed students' confidence and motivation at the forefront, describing them as important building blocks from which physical competence may develop. We describe PE teachers as "motivational coaches", as their decision-making prioritizes students' emotional and relational experiences, with the expectation that skill development will follow. This contrasts with earlier research emphasizing skill-focused teaching. However, it can be questioned whether optimal motor learning occurs if teachers reduce task difficulty to support confidence. We suggest that acknowledging students' effort and progress while challenging a student may support both motivation and learning. Since challenge is a subjective concept, it is important to foreground students' experiences of challenge in game-based PE in future research.