Having a Positive Relationship to Physical Activity: Basic Psychological Need Satisfaction and Age as Predictors for Students' Enjoyment in Physical Education.

Sascha Leisterer,Leonie Gramlich

doi:10.3390/sports9070090

Abstract

Physical activity is fundamental to prevent common illnesses in youth and research shows that students who perceive enjoyment in physical education (PE) have a more physically active lifestyle. This study aims to identify psychological antecedents of student enjoyment in PE. We addressed this by assessing aspects of self-determination theory (SDT), including the extent of autonomy-supportive teaching in PE (reported by teachers), the satisfaction of students’ basic psychological needs, and student age (reported by students), via questionnaires. Correlational and multiple linear regression analyses of the collected data of N = 170 students (M = 14.3 ± 2.20, 10–19 years of age) and N = 10 teachers show that autonomy support is related to autonomy satisfaction in students (r = 0.20, p < 0.01). In turn, student perception of autonomy correlates with competence (r = 0.64, p < 0.001) and belonging (r = 0.37, p < 0.001). All three basic psychological needs predict enjoyment in PE (F(1, 163) = 19.59, R2 = 0.68, p < 0.01). Additional analyses show that higher student age predicts a decrease in enjoyment (ΔR2 = 0.04, B = −0.73, β = −0.21, p < 0.01). Thus, student enjoyment in PE, as a foundation for a physically active lifestyle, can help to prevent common illnesses by satisfying basic psychological needs in PE.

Highlights

The way in which students experience physical education (PE) is decisive in determining whether physical activity becomes an integral part of their lifestyle in the long term.While long-term benefits are related to enjoyment in PE [1], how to foster enjoyment in PE remains poorly understood
We addressed this by assessing aspects of self-determination theory (SDT), including the extent of autonomy-supportive teaching in PE, the satisfaction of students’ basic psychological needs, and student age, via questionnaires
What can teachers do to motivate children and young people to engage in PE so that they satisfy World Health Organization (WHO) recommendations for regular physical activity? This is where the importance of feelings experienced during PE comes into play

Summary

Introduction

The way in which students experience physical education (PE) is decisive in determining whether physical activity becomes an integral part of their lifestyle in the long term.While long-term benefits are related to enjoyment in PE [1], how to foster enjoyment in PE remains poorly understood. The way in which students experience physical education (PE) is decisive in determining whether physical activity becomes an integral part of their lifestyle in the long term. It is not surprising that physical activity among adolescents is declining and only 25% of minors meet the exercise recommendations of the World Health Organization (WHO) [5]. This is where the importance of feelings experienced during PE comes into play. Positive emotions, such as pleasure, play a decisive role in developing long-term exercise habits [1,6]. There is evidence that in childhood and adolescence, the foundations are laid for developing a physically active lifestyle [7,8]. Recent findings show that the influence of the teacher’s support of student autonomy in PE affects the physical activity of students via the students’

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