<![CDATA[Background of study: Motivation plays a crucial role in determining students’ engagement and achievement in physical education, including in adaptive contexts for students with disabilities. However, empirical evidence examining the relationship between motivation and learning outcomes in swimming, particularly among hearing-impaired students, remains limited, especially within specialized educational settings. Aims and scope of paper: This study aims to investigate the correlation between motivation and breaststroke swimming learning outcomes among hearing-impaired students at SLB Negeri Surakarta during the 2022/2023 academic year, as well as to determine the strength and significance of this relationship within an adaptive physical education context. Methods: This research employed a quantitative approach with a simple correlational design. The study was conducted at SLB Negeri Surakarta, an accredited special needs school. Data were collected using validated instruments, with reliability confirmed by a coefficient ≥ 0.7. The relationship between variables was analyzed using the Kendall Tau-B correlation coefficient through SPSS software. Results: The findings revealed a strong positive correlation between motivation and breaststroke swimming learning outcomes, indicated by a Kendall Tau-B coefficient of 0.657 and a significance value of 0.009 (p < 0.05). These results suggest that higher levels of motivation are significantly associated with better swimming performance among hearing-impaired students. Conclusion: This study confirms that motivation is a key determinant of learning success in adaptive physical education. The findings support the integration of motivational strategies to enhance skill acquisition among students with hearing impairments. Therefore, educators are encouraged to apply structured motivational approaches, while policymakers should prioritize support for training and resources in inclusive physical education settings.]]>
