The purpose of this study was to analyze the mediating effect of satisfaction/enjoyment and boredom between the perception of autonomy support and academic performance in physical education. The sample consisted of 374 girls (Mage = 13.99; SD = 0.30) and 374 boys (Mage = 14.02; SD = 0.33) from the state of Nuevo León, Mexico. The instruments used were the Questionnaire for Autonomy Support in Physical Education (CAA-EF), Sport Satisfaction Intrinsic in Physical Education (SSI-EF) and the physical education performance of the students. The instrument’s validity tests were analyzed using confirmatory procedures. Descriptive, reliability, and validity analyses were carried out for each instrument, and the mediating effect was examined; a mediation analysis was performed using the PROCESS V.3.5 macro. The main results revealed that autonomy support is not a direct indicator of physical education performance, but rather that students must feel satisfied with physical education for there to exist a forecast for a positive physical education performance. Satisfaction with physical education was found to have a mediating effect between autonomy support and physical education performance. However, boredom did not have a mediating effect between autonomy support and the student’s performance in physical education class.

Framed within the theoretical support of the Self-determination Theory (SDT) this study aimed to analyze the relationship between the satisfaction of basic psychological needs, the self-determined motivation towards physical education, and the physical self-concept of Spanish teenagers. For this, 618 students, aged from 10 to 14 years-old (M = 11.62, SD = 0.94), participated in physical education classes. The Basic Psychological Needs Satisfaction Scale (PNSE), the dimensions of intrinsic motivation and identified motivation of the Perceived Locus of Causality Scale in physical education classes (PLOC), and the Physical Self-Concept Questionnaire (PSPP) were administered. A structural equation model and test confirmatory factor analysis were used. The results indicate a positive relationship between the satisfaction of the basic psychological needs of the students and the self-determined motivation towards physical education, with this being positively associated with the physical self-concept of the students. In addition, a prediction model (χ2 = 763.23; p < 0.001; χ2/d.f. = 3.00; IFI = 0.91; CFI = 0.91; TLI = 0.90; RMSEA = 0.05) showed the satisfaction of basic psychological needs positively predicted their self-determined motivation towards physical education, and this, in turn, a greater physical self-concept of the students. The results are discussed centered on the importance of the physical education teacher contemplating experiences that work on the promotion of personal identity and student self-esteem through the improvement of quality motivation. Consequently, the greater importance of the physical self-concept of the students was explained thanks to more autonomous (intrinsic and identified regulation) motivation and higher levels of basic psychological needs (especially autonomy and competence).

The purpose of this study was to analyse the effects of task motivational climate on female university students' motivational responses during basketball teaching. Different styles of cognitive teaching were used to convey a task climate. Guided discovery was used in one group, problem solving in another and a combination of both styles in the last group. Motivational climate, goal orientations and self-determined motivation were measured before and after the intervention. The MANOVA results after the intervention showed that the different styles created a similar motivational climate, since no significant differences were found between the three groups. The repeated measures ANOVA showed an increase in the perception of task climate and selfdetermined motivation and a decrease in the perceptions of ego climate and in ego orientation. Efectos de intervención del clima tarea sobre la motivación de estudiantes en la enseñanza deportiva ResumenEl objetivo de este estudio fue analizar los efectos del clima motivacional tarea sobre las respuestas motivacionales de estudiantes universitarias durante la enseñanza del baloncesto. Para transmitir un clima tarea se utilizaron diferentes estilos de enseñanza cognitivos. En un grupo se utilizó el descubrimiento guiado, en otro la resolución de problemas y en el último una combinación de ambos estilos. Se midió la percepción del clima motivacional, las orientaciones de meta y la motivación autodeterminada antes y después de la intervención. Los resultados del MANOVA tras la intervención revelaron que los diferentes estilos creaban un clima motivacional similar, puesto que no se encontraron diferencias significativas entre los tres grupos. El ANOVA de medidas repetidas mostró un incremento en la percepción del clima tarea y la motivación autodeterminada y un descenso en las percepciones de clima ego y en la orientación al ego. Palabras clave: Clima motivacional, motivación autodeterminada, orientación de metas, estilos de enseñanza.

There is a growing concern about the increasing decline in physical activity among adolescents. In the search for variables that may be related to physical activity, this study examined the influence of physical self-concept on objectively measured moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) of adolescents through the mediation of the needs satisfaction and two types of autonomous motivation, for academics and for physical education. Data were collected from 618 students (301 boys and 317 girls) aged 10–14 years from 24 secondary schools in Spain. The path analysis results showed that physical self-concept positively predicted needs satisfaction and this, in turn, was positively and significantly related to the two types of autonomous motivation. Finally, only the autonomous motivation for physical education significantly and positively predicted the adolescents’ MVPA. Our findings showed that there was no evidence of an indirect effect of physical self-concept on MVPA. The results are discussed along the lines of the self-determination theory, through the analysis of the role of physical self-concept in increasing adolescents’ physical activity.

The aim of this cross-sectional study was to analyse the relationships between the satisfaction of psychological basic needs, physical education, academic controlling motivation, and self-esteem, and to propose a prediction model in line with the postulates from the hierarchical model found in the self-determination theory. The participants were 618 physical education students from primary and secondary school (317 girls and 301 boys) aged between 10 and 14 years old (M = 11.62; SD = 0.94). The questionnaires basic psychological needs in exercise measurement scale (BPNES), perceived locus of causality scale (PLOC), the academic motivation scale (EME), and physical self-perception profile (PSPP) were used to measure the studied variables. The results showed that autonomy and relatedness significantly and negatively predicted physical education controlling motivation, which predicted a positive and significant academic controlling motivation. This, in turn, negatively and significantly predicted self-esteem. It is concluded that it is essential to avoid controlling motivation to promote the development of a positive self-perception in students.