Fourth-Grade Students' Motivational Changes in an Elementary Physical Education Running Program

Abstract

Achievement goal theory and the expectancy-value model of achievement choice were used to examine fourth-grade students' motivational changes in an elementary physical education running program. In fall and spring of the school year, participants (N = 113; 66 boys, 47 girls) completed questionnaires assessing achievement goals, expectancy beliefs, subjective task values, and intention for future running participation. They also completed a timed 1-mile (1.6 km) run. The number of laps they ran/walked during the school year was used to assess students' persistence/effort. Results indicated the students improved their run but became less motivated about running while participating in a year-long running program. Children's beliefs about how good they were in the running program (i.e., expectancy beliefs) and their perceptions of how interesting and fun it was (i.e., interest) emerged as the strongest positive predictors of their motivation for running over time. These findings provide strong empirical evidence that expectancy beliefs and interest are essential to children's motivation in elementary physical education.

Can flipped learning enhance adolescents’ motivation in physical education? An intervention study

“…When comparing the intervention group to the control group, significant differences regarding STVs as a dimension were not observed, which corroborates earlier findings among middle-school students (Gao, 2009;Xiang, McBride & Bruene, 2004;Xiang et al, 2006;Xiang et al, 2003). When considering the different dimensions involving STVs, a significant, albeit weak, difference regarding the students' attainment value for PE surfaced, but only among girls.…”

“…feel more competent and perform better on tasks such as dance and gymnastics than boys have (Xiang et al, 2006). However, those trends alone cannot explain the difference detected in the study reported here, since both the intervention and control groups performed the same activities.…”

“…Gao (2009) has reported gender-based differences regarding interest, but not regarding usefulness and importance, whereas no gender-based differences regarding task values have been observed in other studies (e.g. Xiang et al, 2006). Such inconsistency underscores the need for more research on gender-based differences and student motivation in PE in elementary, middle and secondary schools.…”

“…Motivation is associated with students' intentions to perform, engage in and participate in PE (Xiang, McBride, & Bruene, 2004, 2006, but not necessarily with learning achievement (Zhu & Chen, 2010). Regarding gender-based differences in EBs and STVs in PE, boys tend to have higher EBs than girls, although the same 5 differences do not characterise their STVs (Gao, 2009;Xiang, McBride & Bruene, 2004;Xiang et al, 2006;Xiang, McBride, Guan & Solmon, 2003).…”

“…Research has shown that students' general expectancy-value motivation declines with age throughout their elementary, middle and secondary school career in academic subjects, especially PE, for both boys and girls (Eccles, Wigfield, Harold, & Blumenfeld, 1993;Jacobs, Lanza, Osgood, Eccles & Wigfield, 2002;Xiang et al, 2006;Xiang, McBride & Guan, 2004). Although age has recently been observed to explain STVs, it has not been shown to affect EBs.…”