Optimizing Course Design and Instructor Student Interaction for Enhanced Loyalty in Physical Education

Abstract

This study addresses the critical need to understand factors driving student loyalty in Physical Education (PE). Despite the widespread growth of online learning, PE presents unique pedagogical challenges given its inherently practical, experiential, and health-behavior-focused nature, making effective digital delivery complex. Student loyalty, defined as deep commitment and advocacy beyond mere retention, is therefore crucial for program sustainability, reputation, and the long-term impact on students' healthy lifestyles. While existing research acknowledges the importance of online course design and instructor-student interaction, a significant gap lies in exploring their combined and synergistic influence on student loyalty specifically within the nuanced context of online PE, where practical skill development and sensitive health discussions are paramount. This quantitative study proposes a cross-sectional survey targeting PE students, utilizing established scales to measure perceptions of course design quality, instructor interaction, and student loyalty. Research objectives aim to identify specific impactful design elements, assess instructor interaction's unique contribution, and determine their joint effect on loyalty using statistical regression. Hypothetical findings suggest that both high-quality course design and strong instructor-student interaction are positively and significantly associated with enhanced student loyalty. These anticipated implications underscore the necessity for deliberate optimization of both instructional materials and dynamic human engagement in online PE programs, ultimately fostering greater student commitment and program advocacy. Future research is recommended to empirically validate these relationships, explore more granular components, and conduct longitudinal studies for refining best practices.