Abstract
Using self-determination theory as a framework, we aimed to study the relationships between perceived need support and need satisfaction with self-determined motivation and extracurricular physical activity intentions in the physical education (PE) classroom, including sex and out-of-school sport participation as moderators. Additionally, we aimed to test whether a need-supportive classroom environment in PE moderates these associations. Participants were 1259 students (556 males) aged between 12 to 16 years (Mage = 13.46 years; SD = 0.74) from 77 PE classes. At the student level we found (a) need satisfaction to predict positively autonomous motivation and negatively amotivation, and (b) autonomous motivation to predict positively and amotivation to predict negatively intentions to undertake extracurricular physical activities. At the classroom level, in need-supportive classes males benefit more than females in terms of increased autonomous motivation while females benefit more than males in terms of decreased amotivation. Finally, class-level perceived need support moderated (i.e., attenuated) the negative association between need satisfaction and amotivation and between amotivation and intentions. These results suggest a buffering role that a need-supportive classroom environment may have on students’ motivation and behavior.
Highlights
Physical inactivity has been growing to alarming rates in developed countries with 81% of the adolescents failing to meet the minimum amounts of physical activity (PA) recommended by the WorldHealth Organization [1]
We investigate whether the perceived learning environment and basic need satisfaction relate to the quality of motivation and extracurricular PA intentions in a similar way among males and females and among students who already differ in their PA levels
We aimed to extend this line of research by examining whether such differences are invariant across different Physical Education (PE) motivational environments; that is, whether PE classroom environments attenuate or aggravate students’ differences in autonomous motivation, amotivation, and PA intentions among males versus females and among students who are physical active versus those who are not
Summary
Physical inactivity has been growing to alarming rates in developed countries with 81% of the adolescents failing to meet the minimum amounts of physical activity (PA) recommended by the WorldHealth Organization [1]. The learning environment of the PE classroom, the degree to which the students satisfy their needs, their quality of motivation, and their attitudes toward PE have been highlighted as important predictors of PA intentions [3,4] It remains unknown whether a positive and caring learning environment relates to quality of motivation and extracurricular PA intentions in a similar way among both males and females and among students who already differ in PA levels. This is an interesting research question because we are unaware whether some students may benefit more (or less) from a need-supportive PE environment (i.e., that allocates resources to promote basic psychological needs satisfaction). Public Health 2020, 17, 799; doi:10.3390/ijerph17030799 www.mdpi.com/journal/ijerph
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