STUDENTS OF THE FACULTY OF SPORTS SCIENCES E-SPORTS LITERACY STATUS AND E-SPORTS EXAMINING PARTICIPATION MOTIVATIONS

Kenan Koç, Feyzullah Koca, Hayati Arslan

Abstract


The primary objective of this research is to determine the relationship between e-sports literacy levels and participation motivations of students at the Faculty of Sport Sciences, who are the prospective professionals of the digitalizing sports industry, and to analyze how these variables differ according to demographic factors. A total of 296 volunteer students (126 females, 170 males) studying at Erciyes University during the 2024-2025 academic year participated in this study, which employed a relational survey model. Data were collected using the “E-sports Literacy Scale” and the “E-sports Participation Motivation Scale” and evaluated through t-test, ANOVA, and Pearson Correlation analyses. Findings indicate that the participants' e-sports literacy (=3.33) and motivation (=2.88) levels are above the medium threshold. On the basis of gender, technical literacy and intrinsic motivation scores of male students were found to be significantly higher (p<0.05); furthermore, it was determined that an increase in age and years of e-sports experience positively affects literacy levels. As a result of the analysis, a positive and moderately significant relationship was identified between e-sports literacy and participation motivation (r=0.490; p<0.01). In conclusion, it is observed that as students' cognitive competencies in the field of e-sports increase, their motivation to participate also strengthens. Accordingly, it is recommended that sport sciences curricula be updated to encompass the technical and academic dimensions of e-sports.

Keywords


game, digital game, e-sport, motivation

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DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.46827/ejpe.v13i1.7078

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