Physical Education Effects on Motivation and Correlates of Physical Activity

Background/Purpose: PE can have a direct impact on physical activity (PA) among middle school youth, however, an indirect contribution is uncertain. A multitude of PA correlates including barriers efficacy, entity and incremental beliefs, environmental beliefs and sport-competence have been identified to guide intervention design. Self-determined motivation for PA, or relative autonomy (RA), has also proven an important consideration in PA promotion. The purpose of this study was to test a modified PE unit’s effects on correlates of and RA for PA.

Method: A 7^th grade mountain biking unit was modified to improve RA by targeting bicycling competence, barriers efficacy, sport ability (entity & incremental) beliefs and perceived environment. A 3-group design (PE Intervention = PEi, PE Control = PEc, no-PE control = C) was employed. Subjects completed a survey comprised of previously validated measures before and immediately after a 4-week mountain bike unit.

Analysis/Results: 225 7^th graders (girls = 112) from two schools completed the pre- and post-surveys.  Repeated measures ANOVA revealed between group differences in barriers efficacy (p = .049), entity beliefs (p = .036). RA differences were observed by group (p = .036) and group x gender (p = .049). Between group bike competence differences existed by gender (p = .003). Within group analyses revealed significant test x group differences in perceived bike competence (p=.016) and test x group x gender differences for RA (p = .006) and entity beliefs (p = .044). Post-hoc (LSD) analyses revealed differences in RA (p = .042), entity beliefs (p = .009) and barriers efficacy (p = .046).

Conclusions: Results suggest PE may influence certain correlates of and autonomous motivation for PA. RA among PEi girls improved compared with PEc girls. These findings are important because RA predicts PA over time. RA decreased among PEi boys compared with C group boys, supporting the need for gender specific PA intervention design. Barriers efficacy improved in C and decreased in PEc while the decrease in PEi was less than PEc. PEi efforts to improve barriers efficacy may have reduced the impact ending a biking unit may have on perceived barriers. A decrease in strength of entity beliefs in the intervention suggests the potential for PE moving 7^th graders closer to incremental beliefs. Replication of the study in a larger population with teacher as the unit of measure is recommended. This study does provide evidence that PE may impact correlates of and motivation for PA.