Q&A: Students under pressure in physical education

Why did you choose this research subject?

I find it unfortunate when students are not motivated to join in PE lessons, as bad experiences at school can increase the likelihood that they will be less physically active as adults. One factor that has a significant impact on motivation is the way their teachers act. It was important to get a better understanding of how a teacher’s motivational style affects the motivation of the students in PE.

So, what did you learn?

I focused on the more negative aspects of teachers’ methods: how they exert pressure on pupils and how that influences their pupils’ motivation. We found that pupils in general report their teachers as only being a little controlling. This was also confirmed in our observations of PE lessons. However, when teachers did put pressure on students, they perceived their teachers as more controlling and they also reported that they were less motivated to take part.

Your advice is that “autonomy support” yields better results than pressure. How does this work?

The concept of autonomy is central in SDT, or Self Determination Theory. A student’s need for autonomy is satisfied when they experience a sense of volition and psychological freedom. Teachers can enhance this autonomy satisfaction by taking pupils’ perspectives into account, providing meaningful choices and encouraging initiative.

Would it help if teachers stopped forcing pupils onto gym equipment?

It’s true that the subject of the lesson is another important factor for motivation. However, I think it’s not preferable to always let students choose what they do in the lessons. The PE teacher needs to bring students into contact with a wide range of activities that are all part of our movement culture. Students are definitely interested in more than just football!