Traditional table tennis physical education teaching often involves repetitive mechanical motion exercises. Such training can gradually diminish elementary students' motivation during the learning process. Learning motivation plays a crucial role in sports, and teaching methods based on the ARCS motivation model can effectively enhance students' classroom learning enthusiasm. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of the ARCS motivational model in the teaching of table tennis lessons in primary schools. The experimental group was instructed using the ARCS motivational model teaching method, whereas the control group received traditional teaching methods. Following a 16-week teaching period, the participants completed the Course Interest Questionnaire (CIS) and underwent a skill level assessment. The results showed: (1) The experimental group demonstrated significantly greater motivation to learn, leading to a notable improvement in confidence and satisfaction levels when compared to the control group (P < 0.01). (2) The experimental group gained significant improvement in terms of 1-min setting and bobbing of the forehand and backhand, and 1-min continuous attacking of the forehand and backhand(P < 0.05). The results indicate that incorporating the ARCS motivational model into table tennis significantly improved students' motivation and achievement.