Increased perceived autonomy-supportive teaching in physical education classes changes students' positive emotional perception compared to controlling teaching

Abstract

Teachers can expect that autonomy support positively influences students' affective-emotional perception in physical education (PE), when considering assumptions of the Self-Determination theory. Highly autonomy-supportive PE teaching comprises students' free choices regarding organizational, procedural, and cognitive aspects of a PE lesson, whereas low autonomy support addresses these aspects only partly and controlling teaching refers to students as recipients of the teacher's decisions. This quasi-experiment investigates effects to determine the effects of high autonomy-supportive (PE_high), low autonomy-supportive (PE_low) and controlling (PE_control) PE class teaching styles on affective valence and enjoyment. As such, we compare the effects of these teaching styles on beneficial psychological outcomes (i.e., affective valence, enjoyment) in students. In a sample of German students (N = 57; age: M ± SD = 15.6 ± 0.6; gender: 53% female, 47% male) perceived autonomy support, affective valence, and enjoyment were assessed via self-report questionnaires before and after a 20-min PE class intervention focusing on high or low autonomy-supportive, or controlling teaching. Students who participated in PE_high perceived significantly more positive valence and enjoyment over time compared to students in the PE_low and PE_control groups (affective valence: p = 0.025, η_p ² = 0.13; enjoyment: p = 0.007, η_p ² = 0.17). Differences between groups show significant results for valence between PE_high and PE_control, and between PE_low and PE_control. Thus, PE_high should be preferred over PE_low to intensify these effects. Based on these results, PE teachers can employ a high autonomy-supportive teaching style (e.g., through a combination of free choices, social interaction, and informative feedback) to improve students' positive affective-emotional perception and to foster an increase in students' time engaged in physical activity.

Keywords: PE teacher behavior; adolescents; didactics; exercise; fun; school.