According to a WHO report (2018), more than 80% of adolescents do not do enough physical activity. Physical Education (PE) classes should be aimed at solving this problem. The present study aims to analyze the influence teachers have on motivation, embarrassment and intention to be physically active among their students. A total of 604 secondary school students participated in the study. Various statistical analyses were carried out to explain the causal relationships between the variables. The results revealed a positive relation between the autonomy support and the satisfaction of basic psychological needs (BPN), and a negative relation with the frustration of BPN. In contrast, perceived control revealed a positive relation with frustration of BPN, and a negative relation with the satisfaction of BPN. Satisfaction of BPN was negatively related to embarrassment and positively related to self-determined motivation. On the other hand, frustration of BPN was positively related to embarrassment and negatively with self-determined motivation. Embarrassment was negatively related to self-determined motivation, and the latter was positively related to intention to be physically active. Indeed, the study demonstrates the influence and the importance of PE teachers and of the motivational and emotional processes of adolescents during PE classes and the role they play in acquiring the habits of an active lifestyle.
Keywords: adolescence; embarrassment; motivation; physical activity; physical education.