The Influence of Inadequate Teacher-to-Student Social Support on Amotivation of Physical Education Students
in Journal of Teaching in Physical EducationClick name to view affiliation
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Guided by Green-Demers, Leagult, Pelletier, and Pelletier’s (2008) assumption that amotivation (absence of motivation) is a multidimensional construct, we designed this study to investigate the influence of inadequate teacher-to-student social support on amotivation of high-school physical education students. Five hundred and sixty-six ninth graders completed questionnaires assessing psychological constructs and intentions for future physical education participation while physical education teachers rated their students’ in-class effort. Structural equation modeling analysis revealed that perceived teachers’ inadequate supports in autonomy, competence, and relatedness were associated with different subtypes of amotivation. In turn, amotivation impeded in-class effort and intention for future physical education participation. The findings indicate that diminished social support from teachers may act as a significant factor resulting in students’ amotivation. The multidimensional nature of amotivation should be identified and instructionally addressed during teaching and learning.
Shen is with Wayne State Univ., Kinesiology, Health and Sport Studies, Detroit, MI. Li is with Ohio State University, Sport and Exercise Education, Columbus, OH. Sun is with the University of South Florida, Physical Education & Exercise Science, Tampa, FL. Rukavina is with Adelphi University, Department of Health Studies, Physical Education, and Human Performance Science, Garden City, NY.
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