An Intervention to Improve Teachers' Interpersonally Involving Instructional Practices in High School Physical Education: Implications for Student Relatedness Support and In-Class Experiences.

Abstract

Research grounded in self-determination theoryhas demonstrated the important role of teachers in shaping students' physical educationexperiences. Utilizing a cluster-randomized controlled design, this study aimed to examine whether an interpersonally involving training program based on self-determination theoryprinciples could enhance students' in-class experiences. With 18 teachers (males = 8, females = 10, Mage = 32.75, SD = 8.14) and a final sample of 382 students (males = 155, females = 227, Mage = 13.20, SD = 1.66), we implemented linear mixed modeling to investigate the effects on students' (a)perceived relatedness support and (b)enjoyment of physical education, tripartite efficacy beliefs (i.e., self-efficacy, other-efficacy, relation-inferred self-efficacy), self-determined motivation, and amotivation. Relative to those in the control condition, students in the treatment condition reported positive changes in teacher-provided relatedness support, enjoyment, other-efficacy, and peer-focused relation-inferred self-efficacy. These findings demonstrate support for strategies designed to aid physical educationteachers' relatedness-supportive instructional behaviors.