Peng Zhang 1, , Tao Zhang 2*, Joonyoung Lee 2
- 1 College of Health Sciences, East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania, PA, USA
- 2 Department of Kinesiology, Health Promotion, and Recreation, University of North Texas, Denton, TX, USA
Abstract
Social cognitive theory depicts student learning in terms of the interrelationship among motivational behavior, social environmental factors, and personal factors, which offers an appropriate theoretical framework for understanding student achievement outcomes in education. Limited research, however, has examined how these factors were interacted in a school physical education (PE) setting. The major aim of the present study was to probe the associations among perceived teachers’ support for autonomy, competence, relatedness, self-efficacy, persistence/effort, and students’ intention for future participation in middle school students by testing a theoretical model based on the social cognitive theory and self-determination theory. 211 students (109 boys, 102 girls; Mage = 12.44; SD = .99) enrolled in a suburban public school in the United States participated into the study. These participants completed validated survey questions that assessed their perceived teachers’ support for autonomy, competence, relatedness, self-efficacy, persistence/effort, and intention for future participation in PE. Positive relationships were revealed among the variables through correlation analyses. A structural equation modeling (SEM) analysis revealed that the hypothesized model demonstrated a good fit with the data (χ2/df = 9.1/7= 1.3, p = .249; RMSEA = .04; CFI = .99; NFI = .98; GFI = .96). Self-efficacy partially mediated the relationship between perceived teachers’ support and students’ achievement outcomes in PE. The results demonstrated that perceived teachers’ support for autonomy, competence, and relatedness may enhance students’ self-efficacy and motivated behaviors in PE. Self-efficacy partially mediated the relations of perceived teachers’ support and motivated behaviors such as persistence/effort and intention for future participation in PE. Thus, creating a supportive class climate and enhancing students’ self-efficacy should foster students’ engagement in PE classes.
Keywords: Social cognitive theory, self-determination theory, supportive environment, learning outcomes, middle school students
Category: Original Research .
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