Enhancing motor skill acquisition and autonomous motivation in university physical education: a randomized controlled trial of a STEAM-integrated approach

University physical education (PE) is increasingly expected to foster physical literacy by integrating movement competence with cognitive understanding and intrinsic motivation. However, rigorous evidence regarding the effectiveness of interdisciplinary approaches, such as STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics), remains limited in higher education settings. This study designed and evaluated a STEAM-integrated Roliball (RB) curriculum that utilizes smartphone-based kinematic feedback to support motor learning and inquiry-based practice. A section-stratified randomized controlled trial (RCT) was conducted with 70 first-year university students. Participants were allocated to either an 8-week STEAM-RB intervention or a traditional syllabus. The STEAM-RB group engaged in Kolb’s experiential learning cycle, using high-frame-rate video to analyze racket trajectories and connecting biomechanical principles to skill execution. Primary outcomes included kinematic performance (peak racket-head angular velocity via video analysis), blinded expert ratings of technique, and STEAM-specific knowledge. Secondary and exploratory outcomes assessed autonomous motivation (derived from the Chinese University Students’ Physical Activity Motivation Scale, CUSPAMS) and creative disposition. Pretest-adjusted ANCOVAs revealed that the STEAM-RB curriculum yielded superior outcomes across motor and cognitive domains. Relative to the traditional group, the intervention group showed significant improvements in kinematic performance (moderate-to-large effect) and expert ratings of technique. Notably, the intervention produced a large gain in STEAM knowledge and a small-to-moderate increase in autonomous motivation, whereas creative disposition remained stable across both groups. These findings demonstrate that embedding low-cost digital technology and STEAM inquiry into university PE can significantly enhance motor skill acquisition and cognitive engagement without compromising motivation, suggesting that smartphone-supported inquiry is a viable strategy for modernizing technique-focused PE courses.