ABSTRACT Background Although studies based on self-determination theory have shown a relation between teachers’ autonomy-supportive teaching behaviors and students’ positive outcomes in physical education (PE), only a few studies have tested the relation between autonomy support and students’ actual game-play performance in a PE context. Purpose The purpose of this study was to examine whether physical education (PE) teachers’ autonomy-supportive behaviors would predict high school students’ actual game-play performance in PE activities. Method A total of 286 students (M age = 15.24, SD = 3.99) reported on their perceptions of their teachers’ autonomy-supportive behaviors, their experience of need satisfaction, and their autonomous motivation toward learning PE activities questionnaires. Teachers (N = 7, female = 3, M age = 38.57) and an expert rater measured students’ actual game-play performance with a comprehensive behavioral assessment tool. Results The results revealed that teachers’ autonomy support correlated positively with students’ psychological variables of need satisfaction, and autonomous motivation. Need satisfaction and autonomous motivation positively correlated with game performance either measured by teachers or measured by the expert rater. A path analysis showed that autonomy support positively predicted actual game performance measured by the expert rater (β = .05; p < .05) through need satisfaction and autonomous motivation. Conclusion The results suggest that PE teachers’ autonomy-supportive teaching styles promote not only students’ need satisfaction and autonomous motivation in PE activities, but also their actual game-play performance.
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