Impact of Teachers’ Autonomy Support in Students’ Basic Psychological Needs, Intrinsic Motivation and Moderate-to-Vigorous Physical Activity

The students' active participation in physical education does not always guarantee the fulfilment of the international guidelines on moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA). The goal of the study was to examine the effects of the teacher autonomy support on the MVPA, basic psychological needs, and intrinsic motivation of primary education students. A three-phase, crossed research design was used in four groups of primary education (grades three, four, five, and six). Eighty-three students (40 boys; 43 girls) completed three physical education sessions with three levels of teacher autonomy support: low, intermediate, and high. They wore WGT3x accelerometers and answered a questionnaire. Results showed significant differences in MVPA, autonomy, competence, and intrinsic motivation ( p < 0.001) between sessions one (controlling), two (intermediate-supportive autonomy), and three (full-supportive autonomy). In session three, the students' MVPA increased to 73.70%. In conclusion, teacher's autonomy-supportive environment can be modified to increase the students' intrinsic motivation, basic physiological needs, and MVPA to reach the minimum international standards

Autonomy · Intrinsic motivation · Mathematics education · Pedagogy · Physical activity · Physical therapy · Political science · Self-determination theory · Children's Physical and Motor Development · Medicine · Motivation and Self-Concept in Sports · Psychology · Social Psychology · Youth Development and Social Support

• Prácticas docentes universitarias y motivación orientada al aprendizaje

  Open Access•Marilina Del Valle, Jimena Valenzuela et al.•Educación XX1•2025

  Incluir item

• Foregrounding motivational climate in university physical education

  Open Access•Chunmei Li, Yuling Li et al.•Frontiers in Sports and Active…•2026

  Incluir item

• Obstacle course-based versus traditional physical education

  Open Access•Elly van Hyfte, Eline Coppens et al.•European Physical Education Review•2025

  Incluir item

• Do perceived autonomy-supportive and controlling teaching relate to physical education students' motivational experiences through unique pathways? Distinguishing between the bright and dark side of motivation

  Open Access•Leen Haerens, Evelien Opdecam et al.•Psychology of Sport and Exercise•2015

  Incluir item

• Research on self-determination in physical education

  Lynn Van den Berghe, Maarten Vansteenkiste et al.•Physical Education and Sport…•2014

  Incluir item

• An instrument to assess adults' orientations toward control versus autonomy with children

  Edward L Deci, Allan Schwartz et al.•Journal of Educational Psychology•1981

  Incluir item

• Experimentally Based, Longitudinally Designed, Teacher-Focused Intervention to Help Physical Education Teachers Be More Autonomy Supportive Toward Their Students

  Sung Hyeon Cheon, Johnmarshall Reeve et al.•Journal of Sport and Exercise…•2012

  Incluir item

• Fostering a Need-Supportive Teaching Style

  Nathalie Aelterman, Maarten Vansteenkiste et al.•Journal of Sport and Exercise…•2014

  Incluir item

• A systematic review and meta-analysis of interventions designed to increase moderate-to-vigorous physical activity in school physical education lessons

  Open Access•Chris Lonsdale, Richard R Rosenkranz et al.•Preventive Medicine•2013

  Incluir item

• Development and Initial Validation of a Measure of Autonomy, Competence, and Relatedness in Exercise

  Symeon P Vlachopoulos, Sotiria Michailidou•Measurement in Physical Education…•2006

  Incluir item

• Identifying configurations of perceived teacher autonomy support and structure

  Open Access•Maarten Vansteenkiste, Eline Sierens et al.•Learning and Instruction•2012

  Incluir item

• A Prospective Study of Participation in Optional School Physical Education Using a Self-Determination Theory Framework.

  Nikos Ntoumanis•Journal of Educational Psychology•2005

  Incluir item

• Self-determined motivation and physical activity in children and adolescents

  Open Access•Katherine B Owen, Jordan Smith et al.•Preventive Medicine•2014

  Incluir item

• Why Teachers Adopt a Controlling Motivating Style Toward Students and How They Can Become More Autonomy Supportive

  Johnmarshall Reeve•Educational Psychologist•2009

  Incluir item

• Need Satisfaction, Motivation, and Well-Being in the Work Organizations of a Former Eastern Bloc Country

  Open Access•Edward L Deci, Richard M Ryan et al.•Personality and Social Psychology…•2001

  Incluir item

• Enhancing Students' Engagement by Increasing Teachers' Autonomy Support

  Open Access•Johnmarshall Reeve, Hyungshim Jang et al.•Motivation and Emotion•2004

  Incluir item

• The support of autonomy and the control of behavior

  Edward L Deci, Richard M Ryan•Journal of Personality and Social…•1987

  Incluir item

• Choice is good, but relevance is excellent

  Open Access•Avi Assor, Haya Kaplan et al.•British Journal of Educational…•2002

  Incluir item