Is high teacher directiveness always negative? Associations with students’ motivational outcomes in physical education

Abstract

This study investigates how perceived competence-supportive and externally and internally controlling styles can be combined and associated with different students' motivational outcomes in Physical Education (PE). In a sample of 1107 students, results revealed that while competence-support positively related to need satisfaction and autonomous motivation, external and internal control positively related to need frustration, controlled motivation, amotivation, and oppositional defiance. Of the four identified profiles, the “high competence-support–low control” profile was the most adaptive, while the “low competence-support–very high control” profile was the most maladaptive. Findings suggest that PE teachers combine both styles with differentiated students’ motivational outcomes.