Achievement Emotions, Intention to Be Physically Active, and Academic Achievement in Physical Education: Gender Differences

Abstract

Purpose: The objective of the study was to evaluate the relationships among the achievement emotions experienced during physical education classes, the intention to be physically active, and academic achievement. Methods: The sample consisted of 764 Spanish secondary education students (348 boys and 416 girls). Results: Pride, enjoyment, and hopelessness were the main emotions to explain the intention to be physically active, whereas enjoyment and boredom were the most important emotions to explain academic achievement. Given that boys had a better emotional experience than girls, the effect of gender in the prediction was studied. It highlights the significant moderating effect of gender for enjoyment and pride in the intention to be physically active. Discussion/Conclusion: These results show the need to apply strategies focused on each emotion, taking into account the students’ gender, for those that help to improve their emotional experience during physical education classes.

Students’ Motivational and Emotional Experiences in Physical Education across Profiles of Extracurricular Physical Activity: The Influence in the Intention to Be Active

“…For these reasons, it may be necessary to explore possible additional sources of PA opportunities, including extracurricular PA participation [ 15 ]. In turn, as the literature has shown [ 16 , 17 , 18 ], positive psychological conditions during PE have been proposed as positive predictors of the intention to engage in physical activity. The intention to be physically active has been widely used in the literature as a predictor of the practice of physical activity [ 19 , 20 , 21 , 22 ], since it is a determinant of active behaviour [ 22 , 23 ].…”

“…However, there are studies in which intention has not been linked to the practice of PA [ 25 ], but rather it has been shown that other complementary constructs are necessary to improve the ability to predict PA [ 26 ]. To satisfy this requirement, other approaches have been proposed to extend the theory by disaggregating motivation [ 27 ] and emotions [ 18 ].…”

“…Different emotional experiences are established through appraisal of the environment and of oneself and one’s conceptual knowledge [ 33 ]. For this, the Control-Value Theory of Achievement Emotions (CVTAE) [ 34 ] has been used in various subjects in education such as PE [ 18 , 35 , 36 , 37 ]. Achievement emotions can be defined as emotions that are related directly to achievement activities such as physical sport activities and achievement outcomes (success and failure).…”

“…Enjoyment is a positive, activating emotion focused on the activity; pride is a positive, activating emotion focused on the outcome; boredom is a negative, deactivating emotion focused on activity; hopelessness is a negative, deactivating emotion focused on the outcome; anxiety is a negative, activating emotion focused on the outcome; and anger is a negative, activating emotion. Emotions and intentions to engage in PA have been less studied, although relationships between emotional experiences and levels of PA are beginning to be elucidated [ 18 ]. In this regard, the literature has reported, for example, that enjoyment is associated with higher levels of PA [ 18 , 38 ] and higher intention to practise it in the future [ 39 ], whereas boredom is associated with lower levels of PA [ 36 , 40 ].…”

“…Emotions and intentions to engage in PA have been less studied, although relationships between emotional experiences and levels of PA are beginning to be elucidated [ 18 ]. In this regard, the literature has reported, for example, that enjoyment is associated with higher levels of PA [ 18 , 38 ] and higher intention to practise it in the future [ 39 ], whereas boredom is associated with lower levels of PA [ 36 , 40 ]. Other emotions, such as anger experienced during PE class, appear to be unrelated to sedentary behaviour outside school [ 18 , 36 ].…”