Do Observed Teaching Behaviors Relate to Students’ Engagement in Physical Education?

Teachers’ behaviors can affect students’ engagement in the Physical Education (PE) setting. According to self-determination theory, teachers can rely on either a need-supportive or a controlling teaching behavior, and these behaviors will differently affect students’ outcomes. The main objective of this research was to analyse how teaching behaviors and some contextual variables influence students’ engagement in PE classes. The present study adds to the existing literature through an observation-based design in which real-life examples of need-supportive and thwarting teaching behaviors, as well as students’ engagement behaviors, have been identified. Thirty-seven different PE lessons were coded for 5-min intervals to assess the occurrence of 36 teaching behaviors and five students’ behaviors. Stepwise regression revealed that both structure during activity and relatedness support could predict student engagement in a positive way. Surprisingly, cold teaching also emerged as a direct predictor in the last step of the analysis. On the other hand, controlling and structure before activity behaviors inversely predicted students’ engagement. These four variables explained 39% of the variance in student engagement, whereas autonomy support did not correlate with student engagement. These new findings in the field not only confirm the known relevance of teaching behavior for students’ outcomes but also suggest an unexpected lack of influence of autonomy support on students’ engagement as well as an association between cold teaching and students’ engagement. Results are discussed in the light of new approaches, and some practical implications are provided.

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Observing Physical Education Teachers’ Need-Supportive Interactions in Classroom Settings

Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology ◽

10.1123/jsep.35.1.3 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 35 (1) ◽

pp. 3-17 ◽

Cited By ~ 98

Author(s):

Leen Haerens ◽

Nathalie Aelterman ◽

Lynn Van den Berghe ◽

Jotie De Meyer ◽

Bart Soenens ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Physical Education ◽

Autonomy Support ◽

Real Life ◽

Psychological Needs ◽

Self Report ◽

Physical Education Teachers ◽

Teaching Behaviors ◽

Need Support ◽

Reasonable Evidence ◽

Support Autonomy

According to self-determination theory, teachers can motivate students by supporting their psychological needs for relatedness, competence, and autonomy. The present study complements extant research (most of which relied on self-report measures) by relying on observations of need-supportive teaching in the domain of physical education (PE), which allows for the identification of concrete, real-life examples of how teacher need support manifests in the classroom. Seventy-four different PE lessons were coded for 5-min intervals to assess the occurrence of 21 need-supportive teaching behaviors. Factor analyses provided evidence for four interpretable factors, namely, relatedness support, autonomy support, and two components of structure (structure before and during the activity). Reasonable evidence was obtained for convergence between observed and student perceived need support. Yet, the low interrater reliability for two of the four scales indicates that these scales need further improvement.

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Fostering a Need-Supportive Teaching Style: Intervention Effects on Physical Education Teachers’ Beliefs and Teaching Behaviors

Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology ◽

10.1123/jsep.2013-0229 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 36 (6) ◽

pp. 595-609 ◽

Cited By ~ 75

Author(s):

Nathalie Aelterman ◽

Maarten Vansteenkiste ◽

Lynn Van den Berghe ◽

Jotie De Meyer ◽

Leen Haerens

Keyword(s):

Professional Development ◽

Physical Education ◽

Autonomy Support ◽

Teaching Style ◽

Self Determination Theory ◽

Future Research ◽

Physical Education Teachers ◽

Teaching Behaviors ◽

Teachers Beliefs ◽

Professional Development Training

The present intervention study examined whether physical education (PE) teachers can learn to make use of autonomy-supportive and structuring teaching strategies. In a sample of 39 teachers (31 men, M = 38.51 ± 10.44 years) and 669 students (424 boys, M = 14.58 ± 1.92 years), we investigated whether a professional development training grounded in self-determination theory led to changes in (a) teachers’ beliefs about the effectiveness and feasibility of autonomy-supportive and structuring strategies and (b) teachers’ in-class reliance on these strategies, as rated by teachers, external observers, and students. The intervention led to positive changes in teachers’ beliefs regarding both autonomy support and structure. As for teachers’ actual teaching behavior, the intervention was successful in increasing autonomy support according to students and external observers, while resulting in positive changes in teacher-reported structure. Implications for professional development and recommendations for future research are discussed.

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Student (Dis)Engagement and Need-Supportive Teaching Behavior: A Multi-Informant and Multilevel Approach

Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology ◽

10.1123/jsep.2014-0150 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 37 (4) ◽

pp. 353-366 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Lynn Van den Berghe ◽

Isabel B. Tallir ◽

Greet Cardon ◽

Nathalie Aelterman ◽

Leen Haerens

Keyword(s):

Student Engagement ◽

Physical Education ◽

Self Determination Theory ◽

Self Determination ◽

Future Research ◽

Physical Education Teachers ◽

Teaching Behavior ◽

Need Support ◽

Teachers And Students ◽

Causality Orientations

Starting from self-determination theory, we explored whether student engagement/disengagement relates to teachers’ need support and whether this relationship is moderated by teachers’ causality orientations. A sample of 2004 students situated in 127 classes taught by 33 physical education teachers participated in the study. Both teachers and students reported on students’ (dis)engagement, allowing investigation of the proposed relationships both at the student and teacher level. Most of the variance in need support was at the student level, but there was also between-teacher and between-class variance in need support. Engagement related to more need support, but only at the student level. In total, few moderation effects were found. Teachers with a relatively low controlled orientation were more need supportive when perceiving their students as emotionally and behaviorally engaged. By making teachers aware of these dynamics, automatic responses to student engagement can be better thought out. Recommendations for future research are discussed.

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Teaching Styles in Physical Education: A New Approach to Predicting Resilience and Bullying

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph17010076 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 17 (1) ◽

pp. 76 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Carlos Montero-Carretero ◽

Eduardo Cervelló

Keyword(s):

Physical Education ◽

Autonomy Support ◽

Teaching Style ◽

Teaching Styles ◽

Physical Education Teachers ◽

Physical Education Class ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

New Approach ◽

Class A ◽

Practical Implications

The main objective of this study was to analyze student-perceived teaching styles’ power to predict students’ resilience and the emergence of bullying behaviors in physical education class. A total of 537 students of both sexes, between 11 and 15 years of age, from primary and secondary schools in the province of Alicante (Spain), participated in the study. The design of the study was cross-sectional. The results showed that bullying was positively predicted by students’ perceptions of a more controlling style and negatively by a greater perception of an autonomy-supportive style in physical education classes. Victimization was negatively predicted by greater resilience and positively by students’ perception of a teacher’s more controlling style. Finally, the mediation analysis showed that the perception of autonomy support indirectly and negatively predicted victimization, with resilience acting as a mediator. These findings provide useful information for physical education teachers interested in preventing bullying, and have important practical implications about the teaching style recommended for this purpose.

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Influence of Internal and External Controlling Teaching Behaviors on Students’ Motivational Outcomes in Physical Education: Is There a Gender Difference?

Journal of Teaching in Physical Education ◽

10.1123/jtpe.2020-0316 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 1-11

Author(s):

Ángel Abós ◽

Rafael Burgueño ◽

Luis García-González ◽

Javier Sevil-Serrano

Keyword(s):

Physical Education ◽

Structural Equation ◽

Self Determination Theory ◽

Self Determination ◽

Equation Modeling ◽

Physical Education Teachers ◽

Teaching Behaviors ◽

Mean Differences ◽

Multigroup Structural Equation Modeling ◽

Controlling Behaviors

Purpose: Grounded in self-determination theory, this study examined gender latent mean differences in students’ perceptions of externally and internally controlling teaching behaviors, basic psychological need frustration, controlled motivation, amotivation, and oppositional defiance in the physical education context. Moreover, it analyzed the differentiated role that internal and external controlling behaviors play on these self-determination theory-related variables among girls and boys. Method: A sample of 1,118 students (Mage = 14.11 ± 1.50; 50.9% girls) participated in this research. A multigroup structural equation modeling approach was used to respond to the research questions. Results: Analyses revealed that girls reported more maladaptive outcomes in most self-determination theory-related variables than boys. Although externally and internally controlling behaviors of physical education teachers were positively related to maladaptive outcomes, the behaviors correlate differently between boys and girls. Conclusion: Findings highlight the importance of reducing externally controlling behaviors in boys and internally controlling behaviors in both genders, but particularly in girls.

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Psychological Needs and the Quality of Student Engagement in Physical Education: Teachers as Key Facilitators

Journal of Teaching in Physical Education ◽

10.1123/jtpe.2017-0065 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 36 (3) ◽

pp. 262-276 ◽

Cited By ~ 23

Author(s):

Thomas Curran ◽

Martyn Standage

Keyword(s):

Student Engagement ◽

Physical Education ◽

School Context ◽

Self Determination Theory ◽

Psychological Needs ◽

Basic Psychological Needs ◽

Emotional Engagement ◽

Physical Education Teachers ◽

Teacher Strategies

Motivation research is central to understanding why certain students exhibit high levels of behavioral, cognitive, and emotional engagement with learning, and why others lack interest, display boredom, and withdraw effort (i.e., are disaffected). In this review, tenets within self-determination theory (SDT) are used to provide a theoretically-informed account of student engagement and disaffection in the context of school physical education (PE). Our review centers on the proposition within SDT that the satisfaction of basic psychological needs (i.e., for autonomy, competence, and relatedness) provide the energizing basis for optimal motivational functioning and wellness. Teacher strategies and class structures are reviewed in the context of whether they satisfy or frustrate these psychological needs. To amalgamate the reviewed literature, a mediated model depicting a ‘student-teacher dialectical’ framework is presented. Several practitioner recommendations for supporting student engagement in PE are then offered. Lastly, findings of past interventions within the school context are presented and discussed.

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Variations in Direct, Indirect, and Noncontributing Teacher Behavior

Journal of Teaching in Physical Education ◽

10.1123/jtpe.4.2.111 ◽

1985 ◽

Vol 4 (2) ◽

pp. 111-122 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

J. Len Gusthart

Keyword(s):

Physical Education ◽

Teacher Behavior ◽

Experienced Teachers ◽

Observation System ◽

Physical Educators ◽

Teaching Behaviors ◽

Instructional Unit ◽

Teaching Behavior ◽

Content Development

The purpose of this study was to investigate the variation in teaching behavior of physical educators over an instructional unit. Both inter- and intra-comparisons were made for three experienced teachers. The subjects recorded audiotapes during each of 10 lessons in a volleyball unit. The directly, indirectly, and noncontributing behaviors for each teacher were coded and described by Observation System for Content Development-Physical Education (OSCD-PE). The results indicate that most teaching behaviors were variable over the unit. There was as much variability for each teacher within the unit as between teachers over the unit.

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Perceived Teaching Behaviors and Self-Determined Motivation in Physical Education: A Test of Self-Determination Theory

Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport ◽

10.5641/027013610x13352775119754 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 81 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Andre Koka

Keyword(s):

Physical Education ◽

Self Determination Theory ◽

Self Determination ◽

Teaching Behaviors

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Challenge Demands, Hindrance Demands, and Psychological Need Satisfaction

Journal of Personnel Psychology ◽

10.1027/1866-5888/a000122 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 14 (2) ◽

pp. 70-79 ◽

Cited By ~ 24

Author(s):

Simon L. Albrecht

Keyword(s):

Work Engagement ◽

Job Demands ◽

Self Determination Theory ◽

Structural Equations ◽

Need Satisfaction ◽

Self Determination ◽

Job Resources ◽

Mediating Effects ◽

Psychological Need ◽

Practical Implications

The job demands-resources (JD-R) model provides a well-validated account of how job resources and job demands influence work engagement, burnout, and their constituent dimensions. The present study aimed to extend previous research by including challenge demands not widely examined in the context of the JD-R. Furthermore, and extending self-determination theory, the research also aimed to investigate the potential mediating effects that employees’ need satisfaction as regards their need for autonomy, need for belongingness, need for competence, and need for achievement, as components of a higher order needs construct, may have on the relationships between job demands and engagement. Structural equations modeling across two independent samples generally supported the proposed relationships. Further research opportunities, practical implications, and study limitations are discussed.

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