The Reasons And Motivation For Pre-Service Teachers Choosing To Specialise In Primary Physical Education Teacher Education

Abstract

This study explored the reasons for pre-service teachers choosing to specialise in primary physical education and how these choices related to their motivation. Pre-service teachers who then elected to specialise in primary physical education (n = 248) completed the Attractors and Facilitators for Physical Education (AFPE) questionnaire and the Academic Motivation Scale (AMS). The main reasons for specialising in primary physical education were sport and physical activity, confident interpersonal service, and role models. Pre-service teachers who were also completing health as a teaching method reported lower perceived demand than pre-service teachers who were completing other teaching methods. The strongest predictors of intrinsic motivation were choosing the specialisation because of confident interpersonal service, low perceived demand, and family reasons. The strongest predictors of extrinsic motivation were confident interpersonal service and low perceived demand reasons. The strongest predictors of amotivation were low perceived demand or low confident interpersonal service reasons.