Effects of a teacher training intervention on teachers’ and students’ motivation to physical education class

Abstract

The present study evaluated the effects of a teacher training intervention, based on Self-Determination Theory, on teachers’ and students’ motivation in physical education class. This is a pre-post quasi-experimental study with 4 physical education teachers and 611 students from four public schools. A handbook was developed and teacher training sessions were conducted. Statistical analysis consisted of paired t-tests and general linear model repeated measures to assess teachers’ self-determined motivation and linear mixed effect regression to evaluate students’ motivation. A significant increase in teachers’ and students’ motivation score was observed after the intervention. Among teacher, we verified an increase in self-determined motivation. Among students there were significant interaction time by group in Extrinsic Motivation Identified Regulation (F=5.6), Extrinsic Motivation External Regulation (F=7.41), Amotivation (F=5.32) and Self-determined Motivation (F=4.87). Also, Intrinsic Motivation significantly declined with age for boys (β= -0.151) and girls (β= -0.121) as well as Extrinsic Motivation Introjected Regulation for girls β= (-0.141). Training sessions can support teachers in planning lessons resulting in increasing teacher and students' motivation in physical education classes. However, this strategy was not enough to improve intrinsic motivation during the investigated period.