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. 2020 Oct 4;17(19):7258.
doi: 10.3390/ijerph17197258.

Does Motivation in Physical Education Have an Impact on Out-of-School Physical Activity over Time? A Longitudinal Approach

Djenna Hutmacher  1 , Melanie Eckelt  2 , Andreas Bund  2 , Georges Steffgen  1
Affiliations

Does Motivation in Physical Education Have an Impact on Out-of-School Physical Activity over Time? A Longitudinal Approach

Djenna Hutmacher et al. Int J Environ Res Public Health. .

Abstract

Previous research based on the trans-contextual model proposes that autonomous motivation in physical education (PE) is transferable to an out-of-school leisure-time (LT) context. However, only cross-sectional and unidirectional analyses have been conducted. The present study used a longitudinal design assessing N = 1681 students (M = 14.68 years) on two occasions, measuring the following constructs: perceived need for support in PE, motivational regulation during PE and LT, attitude, subjective norm, perceived behavioral control, intention, and physical activity behavior. Findings based on mixed effect models revealed that autonomy, competence, and relatedness support of the PE teacher were positively related to autonomous motivation. Moreover, similar motivational regulation types were found to significantly cross-lag across contexts. Through longitudinal mediation analyses, further support for the impact of autonomous motivation on physical activity, mediated by intention, attitude, and perceived behavioral control, was found. Suggestions for educational stakeholders regarding how to promote students' autonomous motivation are provided.

Keywords: longitudinal design; physical activity; physical education; self-determination theory; trans-contextual education.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Standardized paths of a cross-lagged panel model of the five different factors of motivation in physical education (PE) and in leisure-time (LT). All cross-lagged paths between the five motivational types in PE and LT were calculated. Only significant paths are presented (p < 0.05).
Figure 2
Figure 2
Longitudinal mediation model of the five different factors of motivation in leisure-time (LT) on intention and physical activity mediated by attitude, perceived behavioral control, and subjective norm. All calculated paths are presented: solid arrows represent significant paths (p < 0.05), while dashed arrows represent non-significant paths (p > 0.05).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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