Teachers' Support, Students' Self-Efficacy, and Achievement Behaviors in Swimming

Background/Purpose Every teacher would like to create a supportive class climate and foster students' engagement in physical education classes. Teachers' competence support may enhance students' self-efficacy and achievement behaviors in physical education (Zhang, Solomon and Gu, 2011). Student learning in terms of the interrelationship between behavior, personal factors and environmental factors was described by social cognitive theory (Bandura, 2001). The purpose of this study was to examine how swimming teachers' support for autonomy affects middle school students' self-efficacy, persistence/effort and intention for future participation in swimming.

Method Participants were 82 students (48 boys, 34 girls; M age= 12.7 years) enrolled in an urban public school in New York City. 60 students attended both regular swimming class and after-school swimming program, 9 students attended only regular swimming class while 13 students attended only after-school swimming program. Their perceived teachers' support for autonomy, self-efficacy, persistence/effort and intention for future participation in swimming were assessed by previously validated surveys.

Analysis/Results Correlation and hierarchical multiple regression analysis were used to reveal positive relationships among the variables. According to past research and expectations, self-efficacy constructs were entered in the first block and swimming teachers' support constructs in the second block. Two hierarchical regression analyses revealed that self-efficacy (â = .22, .27, all p< .01) and autonomy support (â = .28, .30; all p< .05) were positive predictors of persistence/effort (R2 = 18.2 %) and intention for future participation in swimming (R2 = 14.8 %). Regression analysis also indicated that autonomy support was a positive predictor of self-efficacy (R2 = 17.5 %; â = .26, p< .01).

Conclusions Therefore, teachers' autonomy support may enhance students' self-efficacy and achievement outcomes in swimming. Enhancing students' self-efficacy should foster students' engagement in regular swimming classes and after-school swiming programs.