Understanding Students' Motivation in Physical Education: Examining the Mediating Role of Self-efficacy on Physical Activity

Abstract

The self-efficacy theory (Bandura, 1997) and expectancy-value model (Eccles et al., 1983) can explain students' motivation and physical activity in physical education. These two theories, however, have been examined separately in physical education research. Eccles and Wigfield (2002) have called for theoretical integration in the field. PURPOSE: To examine the mediating role of self-efficacy (SE) on students' in-class activity levels in middle-school physical education using an integrative framework. METHODS: Participants were 207 students (M age = 12.4, SD = ± .99, age range =10 - 14; 103 boys, 104 girls) who followed a 60-minute physical education class at a suburban public school. This was a two-week prospective design. Initially, participants responded to valid and reliable questionnaires assessing their self-efficacy (perceived ability), outcome expectancy (OE; perceived exercise consequences), expectancy- related beliefs (ERB; expectancies for success), and task values (TV; importance and usefulness). Two weeks later, participants' in-class activity levels were measured by Actical accelerometers (Mini-Mitter Co., Inc., Bend, OR). A path analysis was employed to test the mediating effect of self-efficacy on in-class activity levels. RESULTS: The integrative framework demonstrated a good fit to the data, χ 2 (2, N = 207) = .592, p = .55, CFI = 1, TLI = 1, NFI = .997, RMSEA = .00. ERB and OE had a similar direct effect on SE (γERB•SE = .41, γOE•SE = .40, respectively). TV did not predict SE. SE had the highest significant direct effect on activity levels (γSE•activity = .37) followed by TV (γTV•activity = .17). Therefore, the mediating role of SE between the motivational beliefs (ERB, OE, and TV) and in-class activity levels was partially supported. The overall variances in SE and in-class activity levels explained by the model were 54% and 23%, respectively. CONCLUSION: Strengths of this study include the examination of an integrative framework, the use of an advanced statistical technique (path analysis), and the use of an objective way to assess in-class activity levels. Health promoters and researchers need to identify such motivational strategies as the reinforcement of successful exercise experiences (SE), increased awareness of activity benefits (OE), and using role modeling (ERB).