Psychometry of the Multidimensional Perceived Autonomy Support Scale in Physical Education With Spanish Secondary School Students

Abstract

This research aimed to adapt and psychometrically examine the Multidimensional Perceived Autonomy Support Scale in Physical Education in the Spanish context. The participants were 560 (264 men and 296 women; Mage = 14.49, SDage = 1.05) physical education secondary school students. The results underpinned a 15-item three-factor correlated model, which was invariant across gender and age. The reliability analysis reflected an acceptable level of internal consistency and temporal stability for each factor. The structural equation modeling showed that perceived cognitive, procedural, and organizational autonomy support predicted positively and significantly basic psychological need satisfaction. The Multidimensional Perceived Autonomy Support Scale in Physical Education is a valid and reliable instrument to multidimensionally measure the secondary school students’ perception of autonomy support from physical education teachers in the Spanish context.

The German Multi-Dimensional Perceived Autonomy Support Scale for Physical Education: Adaption and Validation in a Sample of Lower Track Secondary School Students

“…The comparison of the fits of the tested models indicates that the constructs of cognitive, organizational and procedural autonomy support represent factors that are conceptually and empirically distinguishable but highly relate to each other. This interpretation was also supported in studies validating the MD-PASS-PE in samples of secondary school students in Estonia and Spain [ 33 , 42 ].…”

“…Former confirmatory factor analyses supported both a three-factor solution and a second-order model, which underlined the assumption of three conceptually distinct but highly related factors [ 33 ]. Further studies supported the reliability and factorial validity of the scale [ 42 , 43 , 44 , 45 ].…”

“…This validation of the German MD-PASS-PE not only provides a reliable and valid measurement tool for autonomy support in PE, but also supports the assumption that teachers’ autonomy support can be provided in a multifaceted way [ 22 , 23 , 24 , 26 ]. Although different authors suggested different strategies of how to support autonomy in classroom and PE settings, the construct of autonomy was usually measured in a unidimensional way (e.g., LCQ) [ 33 , 42 ]. In this study, it was shown that cognitive, procedural and organizational aspects of autonomy support can be differentiated in PE lessons.…”

Adaptation and Validation of the Multi-Dimensional Perceived Autonomy Support Scale for Physical Education to the Spanish Physical Exercise Context

“…These authors considered that the students' perception of support teacher autonomy during PE classes was divided into three different dimensions: support for organizational autonomy, support for cognitive autonomy and support for procedural autonomy. This structure was later confirmed by Burgueño et al [22], but as the original scale towards the context of PE. The results showed that the new instrument, MD-PASS-PA, has adequate psychometric properties, being a reliable and valid instrument to measure autonomy support in a multi-dimensional way.…”

“…The results showed that each of the three factors supporting autonomy was positively associated with the satisfaction of psychological needs. This scale has also been validated towards the Spanish context of PE by Burgueño et al [22]. The authors performed both exploratory and confirmatory factorial analyses with independent samples, showing adequate psychometric properties and a three-factor structure for the questionnaire.…”