Perceived Autonomy Support and Behavioral Engagement in Physical Education: A Conditional Process Model of Positive Emotion and Autonomous Motivation

Abstract

A variety of theoretical perspectives describe the crucial behavioral roles of motivation and emotion, but how these interact with perceptions of social contexts and behaviors is less well understood. This study examined whether autonomous motivation mediated the relationship between perceived autonomy support and behavioral engagement in physical education and whether this mediating process was moderated by positive emotion. A sample of 592 Korean middle-school students (304 boys, 288 girls; M age = 14.0 yr., SD = 0.8) completed questionnaires. Autonomous motivation partially mediated the positive association between perceived autonomy support and behavioral engagement. Positive emotion moderated the relationship between autonomous motivation and behavioral engagement. This indirect link was stronger as positive emotion increased. These findings suggest the importance of integrating emotion into motivational processes to understand how and when perceived autonomy support is associated with behavioral engagement in physical education.

The Effect of A Ten-week Autonomy Practice on Autonomous Motivation and Willingness to Rely on Exercise

“…The results of this study showed that the ten-week autonomy practice has a significant effect on the students' sport motivation, being congruent with the results of researches done by Negovana and Bogdanb (2013) 2016and Yoo (2015). Examples of sameness and similar work procedures are among the reasons for this congruity.…”

“…The findings of the investigated researches show that based on the theory of self-determinism and the studies done by Rutten et al, 2013;cheon & Reeve, 2013;Gillison et al, 2013;Negovana & Bogdanb, 2013;Haerens et al, 2015;Yoo, 2015;Meyer et al, 2016;Sidsel et al, 2016;Cubukcu, 2016;Leptokaridou et al, 2016;Hien, 2016;Sicilia et al, 2016, it can be concluded that the use of self-autonomy in the classroom training programs had a positive relationship with the increase of self-autonomous motivational forms, and a negative relationship with non-autonomous motivational forms (external motivation and a-motivation). Of course, we face contradictory results in the studies done in this regard including Berghe et al (2013) who found that the academic behavior of teachers in support of students' self-autonomy has no effect on their motivation.…”

Sports practice from childhood to adolescence: behavior patterns and associated factors

“…Factors such as low level of physical fitness, lack of time (due to increased study load and the need to work) and personal factors (lack of pleasure, perception of competence, social pressures, and priorities) may have conditioned these adolescents to give up sports 7,12,14,15 . These factors demonstrate the need for previous experience with the sports (during childhood) to be pleasurable, motivating, diversified and inclusive (aspects found in sports for educational purposes) mainly within the school 26,27 . In this perspective, the role of the physical education teacher (in the planning of classes and the concern to promote student participation) is fundamental to reduce sports practice abandonment and maintain the benefits acquired during childhood 4,14,25,27 .…”

“…These factors demonstrate the need for previous experience with the sports (during childhood) to be pleasurable, motivating, diversified and inclusive (aspects found in sports for educational purposes) mainly within the school 26,27 . In this perspective, the role of the physical education teacher (in the planning of classes and the concern to promote student participation) is fundamental to reduce sports practice abandonment and maintain the benefits acquired during childhood 4,14,25,27 . Otherwise, individuals who would most need to maintain themselves in sporting practices (due to their low levels of physical fitness, negative psychological aspects, and poor motor skills) will be the most likely to give up sport practice 7,26 .…”

“…Individuals with low economic status tend to have less participation in extracurricular activities (such as sports) 28,29 . Specific characteristics of this population such as cultural aspects (traditions and preferences), educational aspirations of mothers for their children, insufficient financial resources to invest in sports, lack of opportunity, school infrastructure and safety in public spaces, are factors that reduce adherence and maintenance of sports practice from childhood to adolescence in individuals of low economic level 27,29 .…”